Sunday, November 27, 2005

Winter Weather now upon us

A few days ago we saw a little snow in the DC area. It began on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005 around 7pm. The snow first was a hardly seen flurry. I was out with my friend Hernan when I looked out the car window and saw the small white flurries in the headlights of an adjacent vehicle. I was suprised to see the flakes, but a welcome sight for me. There wasn't any forecasts for accumulations so I continued home without much thought to prepare for imagery (video etc.). However, around 8:30pm the snow began falling vigourously and some was accumulating on the deck.

By 10pm the snow was still falling and there was about 1/2" on the colder surfaces. The sidewalks and roadways stayed clear as the air temperature never fell below freezing and never dropped below 37 degrees through the event.

At 12am I finally decided to venture out. The snow slowed and finished falling around 12:30am and almost immediately started melting. At first it was very picturesque with the wet snow sticking to everything. But the wind started up, from a very still calm the hours before to a decent brisk breeze that quickly blew all the snow off the tree branches. I did not take any pictures or video, I did however enjoy the short drive around Germantown and Gaithersburg.

So now the season has begun. If this is the pattern for the year, we should have an above average snow fall year. But it has been quite mild at first. To give an official forecast I need to look at climatogical history, and other factors like the NAO, and the El Nino/La Nina affects, etc. It should be soon for that forecast.

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