We discussed on Tuesday cooler weather for the holiday weekend and that is still on track. The chance of a white Christmas is slim here in the lowlands but those in the foothills may have one. Snow levels will lower Friday as a low pressure system slides to our south causing a northerly and easterly flow of air to settle in. However, precipitation chances lower and there isn’t really any Arctic air to lock us in a deep freeze.
There is still plenty of snow-covered ground just about everywhere east of the Cascades as seen on visual satellite photos yesterday. And speaking of visual, persistent fog was in the western valleys causing a “Bah! Humbug!” attitude for some. Meanwhile in the mountains and at the ocean beaches it was clear and sunny. Most locations along the coast had afternoon temperatures in the balmy 50s and light winds.
Wednesday was a classic ‘inversion’ due to warm air aloft and colder valley surface temperatures. Long nights, moist air and calm winds are the main ingredients. The sun is so low in the sky this time of the year it does little to burn the sticky fog away.
Was it a fitting arrival for the first official day of winter? Temperature-wise I guess, but the fog can disappear gladly! So expect a little rain later today with a continued chance of showers through Christmas Eve. As mentioned, those in the hilly areas may see snowflakes accumulate and any showers that fall here in the city could have a wintry mix embedded. There is always an outside chance we get a dusting as the weather pattern unfolds but as of this writing late Wednesday, it goes the way of the Grinch.
