Temperatures between Sunday night and Monday night didn’t change all that much and remained between 38 and 42 degrees. That was due to persistent cloud cover, a chilly air mass, light winds and some shower activity. Our monthly rainfall here in Vancouver is running about normal at this point in December as of 4 p.m. Monday. A little over 2.5 inches in the rain gauge.
Snow levels were expected to drop to between 500 and 1,000 feet overnight and some areas of the county could have received a light dusting of wet snow early today. Others nothing but rain. We will repeat this Wednesday morning, with perhaps a better chance under heavier showers of some white slushy areas here and there. Still no general snowfall that would cripple the area.
Freezing levels rise after Wednesday but remain low enough to continue the snowpack in the mountains. So when will it snow here you ask? The forecast models a couple weeks ago predicted this latest cooldown and mountain snowpack building rather nicely. Now they are suggesting as we enter next week and zero in on the Christmas holiday, it may get cold enough for lowland snow, but whether there would be any precipitation to go along with that remains up in the air.
So, keep dreaming of a white Christmas and maybe nature will throw a dusting or more at us. It is a distant possibility but about as good as we get at Christmastime. I’m still not placing any bets. The big picture is I see no huge warmup and pineapple express-type rains. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and keep sipping on hot cocoa and be merry.
