Don when did the December so-called average temperature become so high? I distinctly remember December average temperatures being around 36 only a couple of decades ago.
depends on what people consider a great pattern.
I'll set my markers as follows
If we get at least 4 storms of at least 2-4 inches of snow and single digit cold in at least two outbreaks I'll be happy. We already had one of those 2-4 inch storms in December.
That would be better than either of the last two winters by a long shot.
It's easier to predict cold than snow most definitely.
As far as NYC is concerned, at peak cold, I think single digit temperatures are a high probability. Not 0 or below because that's very rare anyway but 5 or so might be a reasonable possibility.
It would be nice to place some benchmarks for the type of cold we might see. I notice you often use NYC and ATL for your benchmarks. I'm not familiar with ATL climo but as far as NYC is concerned, at peak cold, I think single digit temperatures are a high probability. Not 0 or below because that's very rare anyway but 5 or so might be a reasonable possibility.
This is why it's safer to assume we'll see a few 1-3 inch events like we got in January 2009 rather than some blockbuster event, especially in such a fast flow pattern. It's not a matter of luck but of the actual pattern regardless of the state of the indices.
Not only that you are actually getting winter during peak climo winter rather than waiting for February, this is a lot better than the torch Decembers we get in el ninos
This might be controversial, but I'd rather have a La Nina than an El Nino. El Nino winters torch early and seem to enhance the effects of global warming. Thanks to La Nina we at least got a cold and somewhat snowy holiday period. I'll take this over a torch December and praying for a fluke January/February blizzard which is what you need to get to normal snowfall in an el nino. This is MUCH better.
Ed, I saw that the skies were clearing out by you early on, the sun only came out here about 20 minutes ago so maybe that delayed the melt here a little.
Merry Christmas, this is the most wintry it's felt around Christmas in a few years.
I must be at the lower extent of the white in SW Nassau, we have 1" of snow here on all natural surfaces, I posted pictures in the other thread.
I love that 2.5 off the south shore of Fire Island lol
This might be controversial, but I'd rather have a La Nina than an El Nino. El Nino winters torch early and seem to enhance the effects of global warming. Thanks to La Nina we at least got a cold and somewhat snowy holiday period. I'll take this over a torch December and praying for a fluke January/February blizzard which is what you need to get to normal snowfall in an el nino. This is MUCH better.
its fine here on the south shore too, no one really cares if there's snow on the roads, sidewalks or driveways, as long as there's snow on natural surfaces like grass it's good.
Same as here. It's fine because it snowed yesterday and before that on Saturday. By the weekend this snow will be a memory with rain and temps in the 50s.