Good news, bad news

2010-11-11 17:35:11.000 – Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist

I think I jinxed us.

Last shift, I wrote a comment about how a cold, snowy October does not necessarily indicate a cold and snowy winter is forthcoming, or even a cold and snowy November for that matter! I gave November 2006 as an example, when the average temperature for the month was more than 9 degrees above average. Now here we are, on the 11th of November, with very little snow cover out there. Temperatures soaring into the low 40’s tomorrow and remaining above freezing, for the most part, through the weekend will make quick work of what is left out there.

That’s the bad news. The good news? Well, first of all it’s only November, and this time of year has a reputation for being particularly temperamental when it comes to sticking to one type of weather. Also, looking at long range models, things look better for the last week or two of this month with temperatures getting back to normal or even below normal and the possibility of a good coastal storm too.

There’s good news on the short term too. The area of high pressure responsible for the warm temperatures over the next couple of days has also been keeping us not only fog-free, but almost entirely cloud-free. Visibility today was as good as I have ever seen it, with Whiteface clearly visible (129 miles away) all day, and Mt. Marcy (131 miles away, and the furthest discernible point from the summit) visible at sunset.

So for now, we’ll enjoy the views and wait for the snow to come back!

Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist