By this point last year, we had already seen a few episodes of snow and ice. So far this year, we have seen unseasonably warm temperatures and no winter weather to speak of. All hope of a White Christmas has been diminished. But what is causing such mild conditions?
Is it global warming? Sure. Is it El Nino? A little bit. Is it arctic oscillation? That’s definitely not helping. Is it the jet stream that’s way up in Canada? Now we’re talking. There’s obviously many factors that go into why its been so warm, but as long as we keep the jet stream well to our north, we will have a hard time getting a good dose of cold air. Also, lack of snow pack to our north is also preventing significant cooling as snow pack increases the potency of cold snaps. In addition, warm water in the Great Lakes is keeping that region mild as well; however, this will aid in Lake Affect snows once we get into January.
If you wish to see snow this holiday season, I am tracking a couple storms that could give a slight chance for snow in Upstate New York, and an even greater chance for snow in Northern New England. Even that far north, the chances are pretty slim. There's also chances for snow to our west in the Rockies. A White Christmas in Virginia looks highly unlikely, although, I expect it to be cooler than our high of 61 degrees last Christmas. It’s funny how that works.
Get out and enjoy the mild temperatures. We could reach the low 70s by the weekend.
My favorite thing to do is study the weather. It is truly fascinating. Nothing beats a good thunderstorm. I became very interested in weather when I lived in Okinawa, Japan for four years and was actually inside a super typhoon.
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