Meteorological seasons
Here we are approaching Mid-January and if you use Meteorological Seasons as your guide winter is half over by the 15th of January.
Sounds a lot better and it makes more sense to follow the seasons the way the Meteorologists do.
Winter is December, January and February, spring is March, April and May and you know the rest. Weather scientists use the Meteorological season since it makes record-keeping a lot easier.
In looking at our weather records the months of December, January and February are our coolest and June, July and August our warmest.
Looks like our El Nino weather pattern has kept up its promise of a mild winter, and so far so good. We are way below normal for snowfall, and temperatures are well above our normal so far. Only a couple inches of snow have fallen across the area. Mountains have had a bit more but still way below average.
Huge storms have ravaged much of the nation, coming in off the Pacific Coast and quickly spreading heavy snow in the west and midwest and flooding and tornadoes in the south and then moving up the Atlantic Seaboard with flooding rains and heavy snows in New England. The path of the storms has kept the snow away and with the mild air our precipitation has been mostly rain.
Although the overall forecast is for a mild winter we do see a pause developing for this coming week as a mound of very cold Arctic air is poised to move southward all the way to the Gulf Coast and this should set the stage for the coldest air of the season to invade Southwestern Pennsylvania, bringing temperatures into the single digits for lows, and teens and 20s for highs.
Any precipitation should be snow. Area ski resorts will be happy as the cold temperatures will be good for snow-making and they will also enjoy some natural snow. The past two seasons have been difficult for ski areas as mild temperatures and warm rains make conditions unpleasant.
It does appear that the mild weather will return after our winter pause. Keep in mind that by the time you read this winter will be half over.
Notice also mornings are a little lighter and evening sunset at 5:15 is 20 minutes later than on December 21st.