Monday, January 6, 2014

time to prepare... (pm.06.jan.14)>

Monday's stats:

Low temp: 36.0F (2.2C)
High temp: 49.1F (9.5C)
Precipitation: 0.07" (2mm)

Clouds are rapidly dissipating over the mountains after sunset this evening, just as a few thin, high clouds begin to appear to the west.  Other than those light showers very early this morning around dawn, it was a dry day.  The high temp was very close to normal for the first week of January, but this morning's low was a degree or two below normal --with the patchy clouds and an occasional breeze, it was definitely a chilly day.

A weak ridge of high pressure is now attempting to build across Pakistan and northern India, but it won't survive for long.  Calm and quiet weather is expected tonight and Tuesday, but things will start to turn again late tomorrow night as a stronger upper-level disturbance now straddling the Iraq/Iran border heads steadily eastward.  It still looks like we're going to be dealing with an extended period of wet (and potentially white) weather during the latter half of the week, as a secondary disturbance follows closely on the heels of the first one.

The very best chance of a burst of moderate to heavy precipitation will occur between mid-day Wednesday and Thursday evening -- but the risk of occasional periods of rain and/or snow will begin by the wee hours of Wednesday morning and continue all the way into Saturday.  As always seems to be the case in January and early February, the rain/snow line will be very close to McLeod and vicinity... and really can't be nailed down at all until precipitation breaks out and we see approximately where the freezing level is going to set up.  It would be wise to stock up and make preparations tomorrow (Tues), just in case we end up on the 'white' side of the equation!

Check the CURRENT FORECAST details on the tab at the top of the page.