MikJournal Holiday Post 12/25/15

Record warmth continues to dominate the eastern part of the U.S.
Temperatures for the month have averaged 10-15 degrees above normal for the upper Great Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and our part of the world.
Snow Nazi says "No snow for you, come back...er, in a few days or so." Okay. So no white Christmas for many of us in eastern North America. But, changes are coming, soon.

Currently, U.S. snow cover is at 37.2%. Despite all of the warmth for the east, there is more snow cover this December 25 than last year at this time when it was 35.5%.

When was the last time over 50% of the country had snow on the ground?

You gotta go back to 2012, yes, the warmest year on record for Louisville and definitely a top ten favorite for others in this great state. Some 51.1% of real estate was covered in white. There were a slew of other years in that general time period of December 25 when over 50% of the country saw white.

2010 - 50.2%
2009 - 63.0%
2008 - 52.7%

Believe it or not, the last time we in Louisville and Lexington saw a white Christmas, with measurable snow on the ground, was 2010. Now, in 2012, we did not have a white Christmas, but it did snow a few days later as we approached the end of the year.

My December Prediction I made during the last week of November included balmy weather and also severe weather chances for the end of the month. The MikJournal January Prediction comes out later around the 29th or 30th. It's looking like a colder month (about time!) but what about snow chances? Find out that along with my thoughts about how the overall winter season could be progressing with El Nino's footprint seemingly everywhere.

MS