Sunday, January 6, 2013

cold spell continues... (pm.06.jan.13)>

Sunday's stats:

Early morning low temp: 36.7F (2.6C)
Afternoon high temp: 48.7F (9.3C)
Rainfall: none

We have mostly clear skies at sunset this evening after a day of nearly 100% sunshine.  Our early morning low temperature was the coldest of the winter season, and even full sun couldn't get the thermometer up to 50F/10C.  Once again... very pleasant if you had a chance to bask in direct sunlight, but bone-chilling in the shade.

It is now the one year anniversary of last year's mega-snowstorm, but this year, there is not the slightest hint of any kind of storm system in our near future.  The upper-air pattern is flat, with a fast-flowing jet stream running from the Mediterranean Sea across southwest Asia, and then across the northern half of India.  There are minor ripples or weak disturbances in this flow, but with moisture severely limited, we should only see a couple of periods of high cloudiness during the coming several days.  Temperatures will rise just slightly during the first half of this week, but we could see a surge of significantly milder air starting on Friday.

The only potential weather excitement to keep our eyes on is a very strong winter storm system currently centered over eastern Europe.  Computer models are forecasting this system to gradually slide southeastward this week, winding up in northern Afghanistan by Saturday.  Right now, it looks like it is going to weaken and fall apart before it reaches us... but anything can happen in a week's time.

SUNDAY NIGHT:
clear and cold.
low: 3C (37F)

MONDAY:
sunshine and perhaps a few high clouds at times.  temps near normal for january.
high: 9C (49F)

MONDAY NIGHT:
clear to partly cloudy.
low: 4C (39F)

TUESDAY:
sunny to partly cloudy.
high: 10C (50F)

WEDNESDAY:
a mix of sun and some clouds at times.
morning low: 5C (41F)
daytime high: 11C (51F)

THURSDAY:
sunny to partly cloudy.
morning low: 5C (41F)
daytime high: 11C (51F)

FRIDAY:
milder, with a mix of sun and clouds.
morning low: 6C (42F)
daytime high: 12C (53F)