December 2011 General Discussion/Obs Part 2

[PSUBlizzicane2007]

Snowfall accumulation from first 10 days of December

http://mcc.sws.uiuc....1112/111210.htm

lol at Louisville. Terrible.

[Thundersnow12]

Yeah Louisville broke the record earlier this month... it's seriously ridiculous how much rain there has been between spring and fall.... though lots of dry, boring periods in summer.

Meanwhile, it's going to be a toasty 64 degrees today... and 62 tomorrow! Sigh.

I was there in April when the got a ton of rain in a couple of days, Was nuts seeing the water rise at our hotel on the river.

[snowstormcanuck]

Pattern change cancelled! Kidding! But looking at the 18z GFS did make me want to shoot myself.

[baroclinic_instability]

Pattern change cancelled! Kidding! But looking at the 18z GFS did make me want to shoot myself.

I am going to be Ian like and say "meh". This pattern blows. It is incredible because I always used to be a major pessimist tinged with a lot of reality when it came to weather, but the boards turned me into a major optimist/weather weenie tinged with less realism since March. I am back into full pessimism mode. I guess the good thing is it leaves me free to pursue other endeavors instead of micro-analyzing each and every suite of guidance for potential threats.

[hawkeye_wx]

Checking back on my records I found the last 1" or greater snowfall here was Feb 25th at 1.2". If we can make it to xmas without an inch of snowfall that will make 10months. That's actually pretty amazing for around here.

It has been even longer here in CR. My data shows February 6th was the last 1 inch snowfall.

[cyclone77]

It has been even longer here in CR. My data shows February 6th was the last 1 inch snowfall.

Ouch. Yeah winter (snowfall wise) was essentially done when the last flakes of the GHD storm landed for eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

BTW, I found my old avatar I used a few years back of that snowman. Seemed like it brought good luck then lol.

[on_wx]

Thick fog in Waterloo...vis down to 1/4 mile or less.

[snowstormcanuck]

I am going to be Ian like and say "meh". This pattern blows. It is incredible because I always used to be a major pessimist tinged with a lot of reality when it came to weather, but the boards turned me into a major optimist/weather weenie tinged with less realism since March. I am back into full pessimism mode. I guess the good thing is it leaves me free to pursue other endeavors instead of micro-analyzing each and every suite of guidance for potential threats.

You're lucky because you enjoy a storm qua a storm, and it'll be sooner rather than later until one of those comes along. For me (and there are plenty like me on this board), we not only have to have a storm, we have to have it affect our bys and affect it with snow. Tall order, especially in this pattern, which ultimately leads to plentiful amounts of frustration.

[Chicago WX]

54/53 at 7PM. Spring. Sigh...

[Trent]

I have been so sick of hearing all the, "it's not even winter yet" BS that I looked up all the pre-solstice winter snowfall for CLE since 1948 to put into perspective how craptacular this season has started. Oh and NOT ONE season that started "winter" with 10 inches or less of snow ended up above normal come end of season.

39.6 19511952
35.4 19621963
31.2 19951996
30.1 19771978
30.0 19741975
28.8 19891990
28.3 19501951
27.3 19811982
26.0 19721973
25.9 19961997
24.4 20002001
23.9 20032004
23.9 20052006
22.9 19491950
22.4 19761977
19.0 19691970
19.0 20042005
18.3 19601961
18.2 19541955
18.2 19551956
17.3 20022003
16.7 20082009
16.5 19971998
16.3 19851986
16.2 19881989
15.2 19751976
15.1 19661967
14.5 19581959
14.4 19831984
13.4 19871988
13.4 19921993
13.0 19531954
12.9 19561957
12.7 19631964
12.6 19681969
12.5 19571958
12.4 19911992
12.1 20102011
11.3 19841985
11.3 19931994
10.9 20062007
10.7 20072008
10.4 19731974
10.0 19801981
9.6 19641965
9.3 19591960
9.2 19521953
9.2 19671968
8.5 19821983
7.2 19711972
5.8 19701971
5.3 19481949
4.1 19861987
4.0 19791980
3.5 19981999
3.3 19781979
2.9 20092010
2.3 19611962
2.2 19992000
2.1 19651966
1.6 19901991
1.0 19941995
1.0 20012002

[on_wx]

54/53 at 7PM. Spring. Sigh...

Agreed. Temp has gone up 1C in the last hour to 5C... there best be some lightning tonight

[Jonger]

I have been so sick of hearing all the, "it's not even winter yet" BS that I looked up all the pre-solstice winter snowfall for CLE since 1948 to put into perspective how craptacular this season has started. Oh and NOT ONE season that started "winter" with 10 inches or less of snow ended up above normal come end of season.

39.6 19511952
35.4 19621963
31.2 19951996
30.1 19771978
30.0 19741975
28.8 19891990
28.3 19501951
27.3 19811982
26.0 19721973
25.9 19961997
24.4 20002001
23.9 20032004
23.9 20052006
22.9 19491950
22.4 19761977
19.0 19691970
19.0 20042005
18.3 19601961
18.2 19541955
18.2 19551956
17.3 20022003
16.7 20082009
16.5 19971998
16.3 19851986
16.2 19881989
15.2 19751976
15.1 19661967
14.5 19581959
14.4 19831984
13.4 19871988
13.4 19921993
13.0 19531954
12.9 19561957
12.7 19631964
12.6 19681969
12.5 19571958
12.4 19911992
12.1 20102011
11.3 19841985
11.3 19931994
10.9 20062007
10.7 20072008
10.4 19731974
10.0 19801981
9.6 19641965
9.3 19591960
9.2 19521953
9.2 19671968
8.5 19821983
7.2 19711972
5.8 19701971
5.3 19481949
4.1 19861987
4.0 19791980
3.5 19981999
3.3 19781979
2.9 20092010
2.3 19611962
2.2 19992000
2.1 19651966
1.6 19901991
1.0 19941995
1.0 20012002

Winter Starts Nov 20th. We are almost 1 month in. I can't complain too much from my local, but for the traditional spots that I want snow (northern michigan) its beyond terrible. Gaylord has NO snow on the ground... Gaylord has barely EVER had snow on the ground this month. That is probably one location in worse shape then anyone in this sub-forum.

[KokomoWX]

54/53 at 7PM. Spring. Sigh...

If it were not raining/cloudy, it might not have been a bad day.

[daddylonglegs]

Oh my God...worse yet:

18z GFS is crazy. After the rain today, there is NOTHING for precip out through almost the new year

Maybe we won't have winter this year or maybe it will just be very late...like next December

[hawkeye_wx]

Temps in Iowa continue to rise nicely. We have gone past our forecasted high and are now at 53. The calm, relatively mild, showery weather and the greening grass this afternoon made it feel like very un-mid-December. It appears our accumulating rain is done and we actually came in a little short of model qpf. I finished with about 0.90".

[Chicago WX]

I'm not sure I get the debate that winter hasn't officially started yet. Has it been debated on here? Which I hope it wouldn't considering it's a weather forum. Seems pretty clear IMO it typically starts (snowfall wise) in mid November for areas north and then trickles down as we progress through early December...no matter what the date says with either meteorological or astronomical winter. But I guess I may have missed something...

[daddylonglegs]

51F in MKE right now... temp continues to rise... 40F here...brrrrrrrrrrr

[TugHillMatt]

Yeah Louisville broke the record earlier this month... it's seriously ridiculous how much rain there has been between spring and fall.... though lots of dry, boring periods in summer.

Meanwhile, it's going to be a toasty 64 degrees today... and 62 tomorrow! Sigh.

You'll probably have some crocus' coming up this week! Are the trees budding? My wife and I went to Canada around Thanksgiving and when we were coming back to the U.S. I noticed a lot of trees budding around Sarnia, Ontario area...I was a bit shocked.

[KokomoWX]

I'm not sure I get the debate that winter hasn't officially started yet. Has it been debated on here? Which I hope it wouldn't considering it's a weather forum. Seems pretty clear IMO it typically starts (snowfall wise) in mid November for areas north and then trickles down as we progress through early December...no matter what the date says with either meteorological or astronomical winter. But I guess I may have missed something...

As I bounce around the forum, I have seen people mention that winter hasn't started yet referencing the 21st of December to saying we can still have 3 1/2 months of winter after January 1. I don't by either argument. The fact is we should have snow by now and places up north should have snow cover.

Is there time for several good snow storms? Yep. But don't try to tell me I am being impatient. The simple fact is usually there is a snow day at school in December better than 50% of the time. None this year; not even a delay.

I have not decided yet though which is more frustrating, nobody getting snow or getting screwed out of the snow while someone else gets hammered.

[Chicago WX]

As I bounce around the forum, I have seen people mention that winter hasn't started yet referencing the 21st of December to saying we can still have 3 1/2 months of winter after January 1. I don't by either argument. The fact is we should have snow by now and places up north should have snow cover.

Is there time for several good snow storms? Yep. But don't try to tell me I am being impatient. The simple fact is usually there is a snow day at school in December better than 50% of the time. None this year; not even a delay.

I have not decided yet though which is more frustrating, nobody getting snow or getting screwed out of the snow while someone else gets hammered.

Agreed on the first part. Understand the impatience on the 2nd part. And as bad as its been, I'm rooting for anything to happen somewhere in the region...even if I get screwed.

[turtlehurricane]

51F in MKE right now... temp continues to rise... 40F here...brrrrrrrrrrr

50 °F as of 9 pm in Madison, spring is here. This will set the freezing of the lakes back a bit, and is 20 °F above the average high for today!

Temps could rise a bit more, the cold front is just entering WI.

[cyclone77]

Mid 50s here as we approach midnight. Dews in the low 50s. Definitely feels like spring out there.

[Hoosier]

Temp slowly rising now up to 57.

[Thundersnow12]

pretty nuts for mid December and at this time of night

[daddylonglegs]

Dew point in MKE is 51F...in mid December...

[cyclone77]

56/54 here just before midnight. Front's about to pass. We'll likely be about 20 degrees cooler than this at noon, 12 hrs from now.

[Geos]

Looks like a sharp line of showers mark the edge of the cold front pushing into NW IL now. 54° and quite foggy here!

[michsnowfreak]

I have been so sick of hearing all the, "it's not even winter yet" BS that I looked up all the pre-solstice winter snowfall for CLE since 1948 to put into perspective how craptacular this season has started. Oh and NOT ONE season that started "winter" with 10 inches or less of snow ended up above normal come end of season.

I think the whole "its not even winter yet" is merely being used as a countering tool to the much more frequent winter cancel type posts. Basically, while it can snow in early October and late May, snowstorm season is pretty much mid-November to mid-April. In recent years, its been a lot easier to see snow here in April than November, however. Now, in April, many snowlovers on here dont want snow anymore, regardless how winter was, the same people who in November cant wait for snow. After March 1st, snowcover does not retain itself well either (unless in a very cold pattern). But the facts are the facts, anyone who seriously thinks that a pattern that is persistent and crappy as of mid-December is an indication that winter will not come this year or will be very tame is absolutely ignorant to climo/weather patterns. The pattern can turn on a dime and bury us all in snow and record cold. The pattern could stay mild all winter but still produce several massive snowstorms in our region. There are literally about 120 days of tracking snowstorm threats ahead of us. A lot of places should have seen a lot more snow now than they have seen. But you know what else? We are 5-6 weeks away from what is considered "the dead of winter", the halfway point to the snow season, etc.

BTW, this post was aimed at no one in particular, just the general vibe I see from the flow of posts Ive been seeing in this stale pattern.

[michsnowfreak]

You'll probably have some crocus' coming up this week! Are the trees budding? My wife and I went to Canada around Thanksgiving and when we were coming back to the U.S. I noticed a lot of trees budding around Sarnia, Ontario area...I was a bit shocked.

That doesnt sound right at all. You were probably seeing winter buds. It was a mild Fall but no way are trees getting spring buds. For that to happen (and it has on rare occasion, see early Jan 2007 in southern New England or Jan 1890 or Jan 1932 right here in southern MI)...it needs to be way warmer for way longer than it has been in the Sarnia area in November.

[Hoosier]

Now up to 58 here. The ol early morning high.