Star Date 18 January 2018 Thursday
Captain's Log
18 January 2018 Thursday Update:
After this latest snow storm that went from Texas to Maine, snow cover for the Winter has likely peaked at 54.1% of the U.S. blanketed in snow. This is the most snow cover for this date in over 16 years. Now the January thaw for the Eastern half of the U.S. will erode this snow cover quickly in the week ahead. CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW
We had another 4-6" of snow here at wt360 headquarters in Eastern PA so the cold/snowy Winter continues, snowiest in 7 years in the Northeast. The Southeast is also the snowiest in 7 years while the North Central is a bit less than last year, South Central a bit more than last year, the South Rocky Mountains and Southwest are the least in 30 years while the Northern Rocky Mountains are less than last year but still above average while the Northwest has the least snow in 3 years.
Our ponds are frozen solid and ground frost is two feet deep. This may bring good news with a lower bug population later this Spring.
The Great Lakes are still trending well above average in terms of ice cover, especially Lake Erie that is almost completely covered in ice, but the max ice cover is still a couple months away - typically peaks in early March.
U.S. Winter to date (1 Dec - 18 Jan) has been very different from West to East with the Eastern half of the country having the coldest/snowiest Winter so far in 7 years while the Western half has been the warmest and least snowy in 3 years. There have only been 11 below average days for the West overall but 3 times as many in the East with 33 below average days. After this January Thaw we still expect February to make a wholesale change from last year which was record warm, this year more likely to trend below average, especially in the Eastern U.S. and northern parts of the West. Snow is also likely to come back with a vengeance from middle February well into Middle March so Winter isn't over just yet.
For the world overall, Southeast Canada and the Northeast U.S. have clearly been the cold spots in terms of temperatures trending well below average. The warm spots relative to regional averages is Northwest Russia while Eastern Siberia has been very cold. Very easy to see the La Nina like precipitation pattern too with the much drier weather in the Equatorial Pacific and much of the Western U.S.
Have a great weekend!
15 Jan 2018 Monday - Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday! :)
The warm up late last week in the East was pretty epic with 60s into the Northeast even into Canada but then equally impressive was the 40 to 70 degree plunge in temperatures over the weekend! Now another week of well below average temperatures in the East but another short January Thaw on the horizon late this week. CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW.
Temperatures in the West will cool off some with heavier mountain snows while the East gets a warm up next week before the next cool down late month.
Snowfall over the next 6-days looks heaviest in the Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast with an Alberta Clipper type system and then heavier snow for the Central Rocky Mountains later this week.
According to meteorologists, we are at the half way point of Winter (1 Dec - 28 Feb) today , sun says we still have 64 days until the Spring Equinox. :( The first 45 days of Winter havebeen a tale of two haves with the Eastern half of the country trending the coldest and snowiest in 7 years (5th coldest and snowiest of the past 30 years) with a huge change from the past two Winters.
The West has been the warmest, driest and least snowy in 3 years. Obviously there are local differences to these trends.
We expect February and even March to be cold and snowy East so plenty of Winter left...unlike last year when Winter didn't make a come back until Middle March after record heat in January and especially February.
Follow us on Facebook ,Twitterand YouTube for frequent updates. Have a great week.
- Captain Kirk out.
After this latest snow storm that went from Texas to Maine, snow cover for the Winter has likely peaked at 54.1% of the U.S. blanketed in snow. This is the most snow cover for this date in over 16 years. Now the January thaw for the Eastern half of the U.S. will erode this snow cover quickly in the week ahead. CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW
We had another 4-6" of snow here at wt360 headquarters in Eastern PA so the cold/snowy Winter continues, snowiest in 7 years in the Northeast. The Southeast is also the snowiest in 7 years while the North Central is a bit less than last year, South Central a bit more than last year, the South Rocky Mountains and Southwest are the least in 30 years while the Northern Rocky Mountains are less than last year but still above average while the Northwest has the least snow in 3 years.
Our ponds are frozen solid and ground frost is two feet deep. This may bring good news with a lower bug population later this Spring.
The Great Lakes are still trending well above average in terms of ice cover, especially Lake Erie that is almost completely covered in ice, but the max ice cover is still a couple months away - typically peaks in early March.
U.S. Winter to date (1 Dec - 18 Jan) has been very different from West to East with the Eastern half of the country having the coldest/snowiest Winter so far in 7 years while the Western half has been the warmest and least snowy in 3 years. There have only been 11 below average days for the West overall but 3 times as many in the East with 33 below average days. After this January Thaw we still expect February to make a wholesale change from last year which was record warm, this year more likely to trend below average, especially in the Eastern U.S. and northern parts of the West. Snow is also likely to come back with a vengeance from middle February well into Middle March so Winter isn't over just yet.
For the world overall, Southeast Canada and the Northeast U.S. have clearly been the cold spots in terms of temperatures trending well below average. The warm spots relative to regional averages is Northwest Russia while Eastern Siberia has been very cold. Very easy to see the La Nina like precipitation pattern too with the much drier weather in the Equatorial Pacific and much of the Western U.S.
Have a great weekend!
15 Jan 2018 Monday - Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday! :)
The warm up late last week in the East was pretty epic with 60s into the Northeast even into Canada but then equally impressive was the 40 to 70 degree plunge in temperatures over the weekend! Now another week of well below average temperatures in the East but another short January Thaw on the horizon late this week. CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW.
Temperatures in the West will cool off some with heavier mountain snows while the East gets a warm up next week before the next cool down late month.
Snowfall over the next 6-days looks heaviest in the Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast with an Alberta Clipper type system and then heavier snow for the Central Rocky Mountains later this week.
According to meteorologists, we are at the half way point of Winter (1 Dec - 28 Feb) today , sun says we still have 64 days until the Spring Equinox. :( The first 45 days of Winter havebeen a tale of two haves with the Eastern half of the country trending the coldest and snowiest in 7 years (5th coldest and snowiest of the past 30 years) with a huge change from the past two Winters.
The West has been the warmest, driest and least snowy in 3 years. Obviously there are local differences to these trends.
We expect February and even March to be cold and snowy East so plenty of Winter left...unlike last year when Winter didn't make a come back until Middle March after record heat in January and especially February.
Follow us on Facebook ,Twitterand YouTube for frequent updates. Have a great week.
- Captain Kirk out.