Atmosphere Comparison

[Jim]

The endless chatter of weather.

[azbackpackr]

My daughter just returned home to the cabin where she lives in Mountainaire (just south of Flagstaff) after having been away for 10 days, and found three feet of snow all over everything!

[johnlp]

Just under 2.5" for the week at my house in north Chandler.

[Nighthiker]

This was Friday morning:

[big_load]

It was 57F today in NW NJ, with over 2" of rain in the last day and a half. I'm really glad it wasn't snow, or I'd still be digging.

[chumley]

It's not making as many headlines as last week, but this is still El Niño.

[Jim]

http://www.wrh.noaa.go...
http://cdec.water.ca.g...

Flagstaff NWS calls 2015 warmer and wetter, with some locations in their top 10 warmest and wettest. Well above normal yearly precip for Flagstaff, but below normal snow. There was a snow ball in congress, so clearly that disproves everything. Either way, there was a week El Nino last winter before this much stronger one developed, so that probably had an impact. So far, the southern Sierra snowpack remains below average, but not that far below.

[nikorock28]

I was looking at some data and, up here at the Canyon, November 2015 tied November 2010 for the lowest average maximum daily temp and you would have to go back to 2004 to find one lower. Dec. 2015 has the lowest average minimum daily temp since 2009 and the average maximum daily temp thus far for January is 32 degrees. El Nino or not, it has certainly been colder than historical averages. I don't know what the temperatures have been, but the last couple of mornings have been quite cold. I got the work vehicle stuck again this morning and my nostrils were sticking together on the walk in. Once I leave the Canyon, I won't be living anywhere that has a true winter. Mild winters in places like Prescott Valley, sure, but nowhere where snow/ice sticks around for weeks and truly does have an impact on how you live your life.

[chumley]

The visible satellite photo from yesterday. Cloud-free.

[Jim]

Uh, Prescott Valley, at 5,100' or so, according to the venerated Wikipedia, has a true winter. One thing I hate about this Arizona Experience, is the incredibly misguided belief that we don't have a winter. Very often even it's native born residents think this, I find, but the belief is pervasive among those from places where losing an appendage to cold is a real and somewhat normal aspect of daily life. Sure, relative to an absolute hell hole like Canada, or Minnesota, or New York, or the dreaded northern new Jersey, the winter is mild, but it is still winter. When I see people wearing shorts on the Siphon Draw and they tell me how mild it is when I am wearing a coat, I know they are from one of those nether regions. Who cares if you left 3 feet of snow, go back there if you want to chat about it! And gets some sun on those pale things you call legs, before baring them to my sensitive eyes. I was blinded!

However, we do have a winter, and it is a true winter. Certainly an higher altitude location like PV does, and Flag, the Canyon, Kayenta, and Summerhaven absolutely do! Even if it was somehow never to drop below 55 at night, the days are short, the sun low, the nights long, and the highs are pretty chilly for a region that gets to nearly 120 degrees with regularity. I have once again, for something like the dozenth time, seen frost on cars near 16th and Glenrosa , in the central part of this so called urban heat island. Tropical vegetation and myself suffer unduly in these harsh arctic conditions! Where is this promised heat?! Where!?! Promises were made, the brochure lies!!! Agriculture largely ceases in this area during our long, winter, and I fear the sun may not rise this year. What then? What then!?!

[joebartels]

@nikorock28 I know exactly how you feel. It keeps dipping below 44 in the valley!

[nikorock28]

JimH, I am pleased my post gave you impetus to keep fulfilling your resolution.
Joe, your comment is just not right. I had to use a pick axe to break the ice from my parking spot!
Chumley, El Nino appears to be taking a break the next 15 days! *Insert jubilation emoticon*

[big_load]

I'm in Denver at the moment. I ate lunch outside today wearing just typical office attire because it was so warm. People gave me hard time because it was cold compared to the indoors, but it seemed nice compared to a November morning on the trail in AZ.

[The_Dude]

@Jim_H
Ah, you are just not looking hard enough. Come out to the west valley and agriculture (be it food, ornamental, or otherwise) is still going strong, year round. How did you manage to make it through winters in areas much colder than here in the last few years?

[Jim]

@The DudeIt was touch and go for a while there. Sometimes I wonder how I survived.

[chumley]

Alex are you back in NJ? The Hype-acolypse is in full swing. From what I'm reading, death is a near certainty for half the eastern seaboard. Good luck. Be well.

[big_load]

@chumley
We landed yesterday afternoon. I haven't started hoarding provisions yet, but it sounds like we have a fair chance of snow this weekend. I hope it doesn't move into Friday or Monday, because that would interfere with meetings.

[Jim]

This zonal or quasi zonal flow, as the Phoenix NWS called it yesterday, is bad for wind up high. High sustained winds over the next 2 days, on the peaks.

It seems to be good for California, if you can tolerate the endless parade of storms. The northern and central Sierra Snowpack is up to 121% and 115% of normal, and are nearing 2/3 of the April 1 mean. However, the southern Sierra continues to lag, with only 91% of normal, but still a huge improvement over the last 4 years.

[Jim]

I added a bunch of links to some weather related websites, in case people are in to that sort of thing. I found a website for upper Co river basin snow pack monitoring that I never saw before. Guess which link it is!

[joebartels]

The Hottest Year

[chumley]

With snowmapacalypse about to befall the District, it seems that all the stores from Charlotte to Boston have run out of milk, eggs, and bread. Apparently there's something about a good snowstorm that just makes people want to make french toast!