December 2019 Observations & Discussion

[Niko]

GRR beating their LES drum again. Saying that the cold on the heels of Monday night's system could ignite the lake some more. We will see..

Hopefully, it does. Gotta get this ground white again

[hlcater]

Looking bleak for a white christmas here. Maybe next year? Hard to be optimistic with this string of poor decembers.

[bud2380]

If you have other hobbies besides the weather this will be a great week to focus on them. Absolutely nothing in the offing for the next 7-10 days after the Sunday-Monday system. In fact it looks likely in Iowa that we may see no measurable precip the rest of this month.

[Tom]

The largest star in our Solar system has been a sleep for quite a while this year and has reached a milestone.  Today, there have been 268 days of ZERO sunspots, tying the last deep Solar Minimum in 2008.  How many more days shall we tack on this year???

 

 

 

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 31 days
2019 total: 268 days (77%)
2018 total: 221 days (61%)
2017 total: 104 days (28%)
2016 total: 32 days (9%)
2015 total: 0 days (0%)
2014 total: 1 day (
2013 total: 0 days (0%)
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
2008 total: 268 days (73%)
2007 total: 152 days (42%)
2006 total: 70 days (19%)

[badgerwx]

Here in SW Wisconsin, it appears as though a brown Christmas is in the works. Sadly. As long as it isn't 40 degrees on Christmas Day, I will survive.

[St Paul Storm]

Some very light snow starting to fall as the family and I go to get our Christmas tree. Sometimes timing is everything.

 

High of 17F today and falling. Low of -8F tonight.

[Tom]

Some very light snow starting to fall as the family and I go to get our Christmas tree. Sometimes timing is everything.

 

High of 17F today and falling. Low of -8F tonight.

The simple things in life that makes things right! Love reading this type of stuff. Enjoy the day with family.

[Stacsh]

Seems like the GFS is the worst it has ever been.  Medium range and especially long range. 

[Stormhunter87]

Some light flurries here.

[St Paul Storm]

The simple things in life that makes things right! Love reading this type of stuff. Enjoy the day with family.

Thanks buddy!

[SE Wisconsin]

I'm beginning to think that the Halloween snowstorm may end up being our biggest snowfall of the season.  What a discouraging pattern!  I'm going out for a hike on the IAT today.  Never fails to lift my spirits!  Might as well enjoy the mild temps. 

[Niko]

Cloudy attm w temps at 36F.

[CentralNebWeather]

We rang the bells for the Salvation Army this morning for an hour in front of our local Dollar General. We thought we were dressed warm enough. We weren’t. It was 21 degrees with a north wind of 10 mph. Cloudy with that damp feel in the air. The cold just went right through us. Time to warm up.

[Niko]

Looking at the extended forecast, its looking very quiet and seasonably cold. Hope that changes.

[Andie]

Gorgeous day in North Texas.

 

Clear, 61*, Calm @ 5mph.

 

I’ll take a dozen of these.

[CentralNebWeather]

Looks quiet from early this week through Christmas. Boy the GFS storm on the 26th looks awesome. Problem, that is 12 days off.

[OmahaSnowFan]

Much like November, December is going to be a boring snooze fest even if we do get a storm after Christmas at the end of the month. At least the bitter cold is staying away.

Reality almost always never ends up close to the hype.

[jaster220]

So this is last winter dressed-up in new clothes. If so, January should be pretty active as many of us saw good hits. I had my 2 biggest storms here in fact. Would be nice if it didn't wait until mid month to get going tho. 

[Clinton]

So this is last winter dressed-up in new clothes. If so, January should be pretty active as many of us saw good hits. I had my 2 biggest storms here in fact. Would be nice if it didn't wait until mid month to get going tho. 

Jan will be fun!  

[OmahaSnowFan]

[Clinton]

December was supposed to be fun too‍♂

 

The monster cutters from late Nov will be back, and some places have had some fun this month.  Hopefully between Christmas and New Years will produce more widespread.

[SE Wisconsin]

 

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west in the afternoon.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. Calm wind.

Monday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 26. West wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 10. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 36.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with a high near 36.

[SE Wisconsin]

Boring stretch of weather in the extended.  Given how wet our fall has been the above post of the NWS 7-day for out area is actually very surprising - almost shocking!  

[hlcater]

Yup. Looks like a grinch christmas for many across the sub(save for maybe MN/WI and the lake belts). After the system monday/tuesday passes there really isnt anything else on the horizon on any of the deterministic models or ensembles. Good indication that split flow takes hold and ensures any systems that we do have are relatively warm in nature and weak. Fun stuff eh?

[jaster220]

Boring stretch of weather in the extended.  Given how wet our fall has been the above post of the NWS 7-day for out area is actually very surprising - almost shocking!  

 

That's one concern I had. So much moisture outside of the cold season, nothing left in the tank when winter finally arrives. 

[Money]

Zzzzzz

[Niko]

I got a headline for my area tanite.

 

PER TWC:

 

POTENTIAL FOR SLICK SPOTS EARLY TONIGHT... A mix of flurries and drizzle will lift across the area late this evening. With temperatures in some locations nearing the freezing mark, this may allow some slick spots to develop on area roadways. Motorists are urged to remain aware of possible changes in driving conditions tonight.

 

 

[Tom]

It's a brutally cold morning up across the Upper MW/Northwoods this morning.  Some stations up in N MN near Beltrami are reporting temps near -30F!  My goodness is that cold for mid December!

 

 

Current conditions at Bigfork Municipal Airport (KFOZ)Lat: 47.78°NLon: 93.65°WElev: 1348ft.

Fair

-29°F

-34°C

[Tom]

The period around the Winter Solstice needs to be watched as the GFS has been starting to sniff out a potential set up that can bring some lighter snows across the GL's/OHV region.  BTW, has anyone else noticed how the models are trending away from the warmer temps near the GL's region in the extended?  That Greenland Block and blossoming Hudson Bay ridge are certainly showing their strength.  Temps may not get that much above 32F which will help keep the snow cover in check.

 

 

 

 

Here are the last couple runs off the GFS and I personally believe it has the right idea.  I mentioned this a few days ago that this period had my attention.

 

 

00z/06z GFS...

 

 

[GDR]

Boy that gets me jacked!!

[westMJim]

Ok, first off it looks like GRR has recorded 0.01″ of precipitation so that means Grand Rapids has at least tied the most precipitation for any year on record. Here at my house I have just under a half inch of snow on the ground and at this time light snow is falling. The current temperature here is now 27° For the° month GR is near average at -0.3° the snow fall is below average with just 5.6″. 

[Beltrami Island]

 

It's a brutally cold morning up across the Upper MW/Northwoods this morning. Some stations up in N MN near Beltrami are reporting temps near -30F! My goodness is that cold for mid December!

 

 

Current conditions at Bigfork Municipal Airport (KFOZ)Lat: 47.78°NLon: 93.65°WElev: 1348ft.

 

Fair

-29°F

-34°C

This cold morning doesn't seem so bad. My forcast hi today is 7. When the high stays below -10, that is cold!

Winds are light as well. I'd take -20 and calm over 0 and 20mph nw winds any day.

 

To see absolutely cold December temps look back at 2013, I still can't believe how cold that month was, it defies belief.

[Tom]

This cold morning doesn't seem so bad. My forcast hi today is 7. When the high stays below -10, that is cold!

Winds are light as well. I'd take -20 and calm over 0 and 20mph nw winds any day.

 

To see absolutely cold December temps look back at 2013, I still can't believe how cold that month was, it defies belief.

I remember that month like it was yesterday. Arctic front, after arctic front along with wind that blew right through you! I’d take calm winds and colder temps anyday. I remember asking myself back then “what if we didn’t have the winds”...how much colder temps would have bottomed out. How thick is the ice up there?

[Madtown]

The period around the Winter Solstice needs to be watched as the GFS has been starting to sniff out a potential set up that can bring some lighter snows across the GL's/OHV region. BTW, has anyone else noticed how the models are trending away from the warmer temps near the GL's region in the extended? That Greenland Block and blossoming Hudson Bay ridge are certainly showing their strength. Temps may not get that much above 32F which will help keep the snow cover in check.

 

 

 

 

Here are the last couple runs off the GFS and I personally believe it has the right idea. I mentioned this a few days ago that this period had my attention.

 

 

00z/06z GFS...

 

 

 

Please let's get rid of the up 30s and 40s in the forecast now!

[jaster220]

Boy that gets me jacked!!

 

   sorry Iowa Peeps

 

At least I scored 0.1" SHSN so far this morning w/mood flakes continuing..

[jaster220]

The period around the Winter Solstice needs to be watched as the GFS has been starting to sniff out a potential set up that can bring some lighter snows across the GL's/OHV region. 

 

That would be nice if we could score a couple inches just before Christmas. I think it was 2012 when SMI scored a very last-minute 1-2" on the 23rd or 24th

[Niko]

Attm, 32F w flurries.

[Niko]

As of now, no storms to track at all for quite awhile. Remainder of December looks very dry. Repeat of last December in the works??!....... kinda, where only 0.5" fell the whole entire month in 2018. So far, not even near that and here we are mid December.

[Stacsh]

Warm up until at least Christmas for SMI. yawn. Completely Benign weather here.

[jaster220]

As of now, no storms to track at all for quite awhile. Remainder of December looks very dry. Repeat of last December in the works??!....... kinda, where only 0.5" fell the whole entire month in 2018. So far, not even near that and here we are mid December.

 

Looking lame isn't it amigo! Always goes like this. The better it looks from a distance, the worse it ends up, lol. At least here, I've already outscored last Dec's abysmal total, but November was half of last Nov so for the combined months I may be lacking in the end.