Captain's Blog 22 Dec '24 - Frigid Start to Christmas Week But Moderating
Captain's Log
22 Dec 2024: The Final Christmas Countdown! Hope you're ready!
U.S Snow Cover Saturday morning (22 Dec) shows 28% of the U.S. has snow on the ground vs 14% last year and an uptick from last week.
We gained a little bit of snow in the Northeast last week with an early week system bringing a covering of snow, and a Clipper system later in the week bringing another light snow event for most, although some areas saw a decent accumulation, including at wt360 headquarters where we saw nearly 4" of snow! Luckily, the snow was more of a Christmas "mood-setter" than a disruption with light snow falling most of the day Friday and temperatures hovering around freezing which meant roadways were mostly just wet. Heavier snow fell across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and western Great Lakes.
Season-to-date Snowfall we're up +40% versus last year having gained some ground last week, but U.S. snowfall is still trending the 6th least in 39 years. The late week Clipper system helped to push season-to-date totals in the northern Plains over the 1' mark.
Last Week (15-21 Dec) across the World shows the U.S. trending -0.6F colder than last year but the 4th warmest in 39 years. Rainfall was -41% vs last year and the 15th driest in 29 years, while snowfall was up +451% vs last year but still slightly below average. The colder and snowier trends were favorable for seasonal gift categories vs last year, especially as we come down to the wire for holiday shopping.
The Northwest remained very unsettled with several systems moving onshore bringing valley rain and mountain snow.
Canada continued to trend much colder compared to a mild mid-December last year with temperatures trending closer to normal. Conversely, China was much warmer than a cold comparable week last year. Much of Europe trended warmer vs last year, although the U.K. was the exception, though it was still much warmer than normal. Much colder vs last year in southern Brazil, a headwind for seasonal categories and wetter.
This Week (22-28 Dec) We return to above normal warmth across the eastern U.S. just in time for Christmas. However, the week is starting off downright COLD across the eastern half of the nation. In fact, a town in northern Michigan dropped to -21F Sunday morning, a record for the date.
The cold won't last long though, with above normal warmth spreading from the West and across much of the East by Christmas, although parts of New England may hold on to colder than average temperatures a little bit longer.
As for precipitation, the week of Christmas is forecast to trend drier vs last year and closer to average. Storms will continue to move onshore in the Northwest with precipitation possibly reaching farther south at times.
In the South, we'll need to watch for the potential for some severe thunderstorms, mainly from East Texas to Mississippi.
The 6-day (23-29 Dec) Snow will develop across the Great Lakes Monday and could bring a coating to a couple of inches in parts of the Northeast Monday night into Christmas Eve, though nothing significant is expected. Again, this would just be a "mood-setting" type snowfall.
Next Week (29 Dec-04 Jan) above normal temperatures are forecast through the final days of December, however, don't be fooled by all the reds and oranges on the map, above normal warmth in late December/early January is still cold by most people's standards! Colder trends are expected to return in January; some models hint at the potential for a significant Arctic outbreak and maybe even some noteworthy snow. Stay tuned!
The World 2-week outlook (24 Dec-04 Jan) above normal warmth across North America, centered over the Hudson Bay. But, colder weather looks to be increasing in likelihood later in this period.
Overall, above normal temperatures will be widespread across the globe in the next 2 weeks, but colder than last year in Canada, much of Europe, and a large part of Eurasia.
From the entire team at WeatherTrends360, may you have a blessed, warm, and joyous holiday!
Have a great week, and don't forget to follow us on social media for frequent updates: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Linkedin.
U.S Snow Cover Saturday morning (22 Dec) shows 28% of the U.S. has snow on the ground vs 14% last year and an uptick from last week.
We gained a little bit of snow in the Northeast last week with an early week system bringing a covering of snow, and a Clipper system later in the week bringing another light snow event for most, although some areas saw a decent accumulation, including at wt360 headquarters where we saw nearly 4" of snow! Luckily, the snow was more of a Christmas "mood-setter" than a disruption with light snow falling most of the day Friday and temperatures hovering around freezing which meant roadways were mostly just wet. Heavier snow fell across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and western Great Lakes.
Season-to-date Snowfall we're up +40% versus last year having gained some ground last week, but U.S. snowfall is still trending the 6th least in 39 years. The late week Clipper system helped to push season-to-date totals in the northern Plains over the 1' mark.
Last Week (15-21 Dec) across the World shows the U.S. trending -0.6F colder than last year but the 4th warmest in 39 years. Rainfall was -41% vs last year and the 15th driest in 29 years, while snowfall was up +451% vs last year but still slightly below average. The colder and snowier trends were favorable for seasonal gift categories vs last year, especially as we come down to the wire for holiday shopping.
The Northwest remained very unsettled with several systems moving onshore bringing valley rain and mountain snow.
Canada continued to trend much colder compared to a mild mid-December last year with temperatures trending closer to normal. Conversely, China was much warmer than a cold comparable week last year. Much of Europe trended warmer vs last year, although the U.K. was the exception, though it was still much warmer than normal. Much colder vs last year in southern Brazil, a headwind for seasonal categories and wetter.
This Week (22-28 Dec) We return to above normal warmth across the eastern U.S. just in time for Christmas. However, the week is starting off downright COLD across the eastern half of the nation. In fact, a town in northern Michigan dropped to -21F Sunday morning, a record for the date.
The cold won't last long though, with above normal warmth spreading from the West and across much of the East by Christmas, although parts of New England may hold on to colder than average temperatures a little bit longer.
As for precipitation, the week of Christmas is forecast to trend drier vs last year and closer to average. Storms will continue to move onshore in the Northwest with precipitation possibly reaching farther south at times.
In the South, we'll need to watch for the potential for some severe thunderstorms, mainly from East Texas to Mississippi.
The 6-day (23-29 Dec) Snow will develop across the Great Lakes Monday and could bring a coating to a couple of inches in parts of the Northeast Monday night into Christmas Eve, though nothing significant is expected. Again, this would just be a "mood-setting" type snowfall.
Next Week (29 Dec-04 Jan) above normal temperatures are forecast through the final days of December, however, don't be fooled by all the reds and oranges on the map, above normal warmth in late December/early January is still cold by most people's standards! Colder trends are expected to return in January; some models hint at the potential for a significant Arctic outbreak and maybe even some noteworthy snow. Stay tuned!
The World 2-week outlook (24 Dec-04 Jan) above normal warmth across North America, centered over the Hudson Bay. But, colder weather looks to be increasing in likelihood later in this period.
Overall, above normal temperatures will be widespread across the globe in the next 2 weeks, but colder than last year in Canada, much of Europe, and a large part of Eurasia.
From the entire team at WeatherTrends360, may you have a blessed, warm, and joyous holiday!
Have a great week, and don't forget to follow us on social media for frequent updates: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Linkedin.