1:28AM Not only is the cold sweeping into the Northern Rockies this weekend, but the one benefit I would find about living in this part of the world – the outstanding scenery – is going to be snuffed out, at least in western Montana and northern Idaho. An inversion (air stops getting colder for a brief spell as you go up, meaning the air doesn’t rise — it is trapped at the surface) is setting up, leading to fog in the valleys. Dense fog advisories are out throughout the area.

2:08PM – There hasn’t been much good news out west lately, and across the country, precipitation seemed only to fall as snow, even on the Gulf Coast, but this afternoon, we have an actual rain event, and it is in the LA area. Heavy rain is falling in Santa Barbara, with a smattering down by Oxnard. Chances will continue this evening. Let’s hope the drink helps soothe the area.

4:10PM – I was curious, given the snow last week, how quiet the tropics were, worldwide. Answer? Pretty quiet. There is one nettlesome wave in the Indian Ocean, but a Tropical Storm is it’s maximum potential, and it won’t affect interests to anyone, anywhere.

8:10PM – The two large fires – Palisades and Eaton – that made so many headlines an affected so many people aren’t out yet, but they are increasingly contained. Unfortunately, fire conditions still exist, and flames erupted near Santa Clarita, the Hughes fire. The fire exploded today. It is not yet a catastrophe, but a reminder of the lingering danger.

12:39 AM – Really, the only weather show in town right now is out on southern California. Fire fighting efforts are ongoing, but also, fire prevention efforts are underway, anticipating winds to return to start the week for a spell.

Aside from the wind, the big story I guess is the cold in the north central US and I don’t know, rip currents in Guam?

8:56PM – This satellite doesn’t capture the smoke in southern California, but it shows how far off the coast any clouds are. There is no marine layer because the Santa Anas are howling so hard. No marine layer also means no local moisture.

10:51AM We’ve almost made it through 2024. The first day of 2025 promises to be an interesting one, particularly in the northeastern US. The real show, however, looks like it will be in Canada on New Years Day, avoiding the major commuter hubs on the Eastern Seaboard. Godspeed if you need to travel through Montreal, Toronto or Ottawa, though.

7:38PM: Well, it’s here; Christmas week. Initial indications are for a stormy pattern out in the Northwest, and more wintry weather in New England. The good news is, if you live in those areas, you have surely taken that news into account as a part of your travel planning. If not, though, just remember that weather in either of those areas can trip up travel nationwide. And we are getting it in both regions. On Christmas. Be patient.

1107pm: A look at the Eastern Carolinas precip forecast outlines moisture rising from the southeast bearing toward New England

11:21. No no, that is the continental shelf off the Carolina Coast, not an above the surface physical feature touching off thunderstorms. No matter how it looks.

10:02: A cold front is bringing some cooler conditions for a brief period. Those cooler conditions don’t apply to the Tampa area.

2:11PM: The strong polarization on either coast is beginning to break down. It’s not going away, but the the cold anomaly out west is coming back to normal. Still warmer out east, which means precipitation is going to continue to be robust right in the middle of the country. Fortunately, it is needed in this area.

8:31PM After the snow and rain yesterday, it’s looking like the dry spell is going to be concluding rather quickly. Don’t be surprised to see more rain through the week in the Twin Cities… but not tonight. The precipitation that was in the area is dissipating fairly rapidly.

10:35PM: There is a marginal risk for severe weather along the Texas-New Mexico border, but nothing is really panning out right now. This same pattern will make things a bit more interesting this weekend. More severe weather, just like earlier this week, is expected west of the Mississippi from Iowa to Oklahoma. It’s sure been an interesting final third of 2024.

11:58PM Well, it was no Halloween Blizzard, as it was in 1991, but there was snow in Minnesota today. The bullseye was the northwestern side of the Twin Cities metro, where a couple of inches fell. This is anecdotal, I was coming from North Dakota and got to enjoy a wintry blast on the way back home.