Searching For White Down Winter's Home Stretch

Maybe they’re all like this, but the winter of 2014-2015 seems especially odd. In Minnesota, a frigid November gave way to a most mild December. And January’s been a mixed helping as well, though a warm bias has been the prevailing characteristic. However, one constant has been the lack of significant snow and the lack of consistently stellar, recreational-friendly snow cover.

As meteorological winter entered it’s final third, snow lovers were looking far and wide for signs of the precipitation type they live for. Others were thrilled at the prospect of a winter that, while still challenging by most state’s standards, was proceeding in a tolerable fashion.

(And then there was your fearless host, who wonders if California will ever again see rain.)

Enjoy the hunt for a white February!

Beige Christmas Beyond, Vortexish Chill Looming?

Now that our white Christmas drama is over, weather eyes scanned the horizon for true winter chill. According to most weather prognosticators, January seemed destined to live up to its bitter billing -- at least for the beginning.

What Color Will Christmas Be?

Concern over whether a white Christmas was in store for the Twin Cities was becoming a topic of greater and greater interest among the local folk. We won't say obsessed, but you get the idea. We sat down with Tom Novak (@NovakWeather) and Patrick Hammer to discuss possibilities in this video.

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A Backwards December?

After an unusually cold November, weather eyes in Minnesota turned to maps suggesting a much warmer than average December was on the horizon. Indeed there was a collective sense that a major pattern shift was ongoing, with your intrepid blog author and former Minnesotan looking out at big puddles in Northern California.

Might there be any possibility that December will clock in warmer than November? Several years ago when a summery March took over the country, April was actually colder than March in Minnesota. So a seasonal reversal would not be unprecedented.

As always, time will tell. Use this space to comment on warm air that's coming (or not) and any snow (or rain!) that may be coming.