The Sun is Shining Big and Bold but it's Still Cold

December is starting off with another blast of cold, arctic air. This one is supposed to be a bigger and colder event than last month's episode. So far however, it has been a mild cold. Some of you may have seen some flurries yesterday, there was nothing white and fluffy here at my station, however.

Virtually every weather website and service is indicating that a very cold air mass will entrench itself in the area over the next several days. The forecasts for the rest of this week are clear and cold. Most are suggesting a week of snow possibly coming as early as this Thursday. Predicting snow is a dicey proposition west of the Cascades. We have so many geological, topographical and atmospheric variables. The biggest influence is the largest body of water on Earth. The mighty Pacific Ocean sits just 90 miles away and in the winter it acts as a natural heater. Of course it is a weak heater with water temps hovering in the 40s. It still acts as a temperature moderator when cold air is in place. Most of our weather systems come in from the west off the coast and brings with it that oceanic moderation of temperature. Generally it takes either a cold east wind through the gorge or a truly frigid arctic air mass to set us up for anything more than dusting of snow.

National Weather Service Forecast as of this morning

Well, apparently several computer models are suggesting that a snow producing weather Trifecta is building up for next week. Here is a little checklist: High pressure building in the East and set to produce those frigid East winds through the gorge; Check. A cold arctic air mass moving in from the north; Check. A moisture laden storm out in the Pacific heading our way; Check. And as a measure of confidence it has been almost precisely five years since the last major snow event. it seems that the stars are aligned and all the required elements for a significant snow event are brewing. It all comes down to timing and whether or not the good Lord is just yanking our chain... again. So shall we see. I am very confident we will see snow from this event but it may not be the proverbial "Big One" some weather sites are suggesting. Since I seemed to have misplaced my T.A.R.D.I.S., we will just have to wait it out, if you'll pardon the 'Doctor Who' parlance.

So much for the future, the past is so much easier to predict, isn't it? November is in the books and in a word, it was; 'dry'. Just 3.11 inches of that precious water fell from the skies in a month that should see nearly eight at my station. So yes, it was dry. It would have been a warm November as well had it not been for that blast of chilly air that arrived late in the month. It was a beautiful month with nine gorgeous sun filled days.

The stats rolled out like this:

We had 16 days with precipitation of which 6 exceeded a quarter inch and totaling 3.11 inches for the month. The most was .55 inches which occurred on the opening day of the month. It was the precursor for a wet month that never materialized. Nary a snowflake all month but that is not unusual for November. The chart on the right makes it look wetter than it was. Seven of those "rainy" days had less than a tenth of an inch. And then there were those nine glorious days of brilliant sunshine provided by our home star.


Temperatures were slightly chillier on average for the month with my observed daily average low at 36.80 and observed daily average high at 50.09 degrees against my twelve year averages of 38.47 and 50.30. I had 10 days with a low temperature below the freezing mark and not a single time did the mercury push past the 60 degree mark. The warmest temperature was 58.8 on the 11th and the coldest was a tie on back to back days starting on the 21st with a pair of 20.4 degree readings. The warmest overnight low came on the evening of the 7th with a 47.4 degrees. The coldest afternoon high temperature was mild 42 degrees on the 29th.

So we have a few days on tap with the great yellow orb blazing away in the big blue sky before the snow event occurs. So get out there and work on your tan, then get out there and play in the snow, be a little or allot. Go on my friends... Soak it up.