Ending the Year Milder....
23 December 2008
Pattern shift: ending the year milder
For most of December, we experienced occasional blasts of very cold air buffered by quick warm-ups in between. The wind flow aloft helped to make this possible with a pronounced north-south component. This provides the “push” pools of cold air need to get moving southward. Often, a very dense air mass will continue moving once begun, due to the weight and momentum of the frigid air.
In any case, this flow regime is being replaced by a much more west-to-east upper air scene. This should keep the arctic air away from Texoma for a little while.
We’ll still have some cold nights; after all, the average low this time of year is right around freezing. But overnight numbers in the low and mid teens should be gone for a spell.
Long-range trends do suggest another arctic outbreak Jan. 3rd or 4th. This may be accompanied by a return to the regime we’ve had for most of December.
Of course, that’s well beyond what I’ll suggest in anything but the vaguest terms!
Take Care...and Happy Holidays!
Steve LaNore
Chief Meteorologist
KXII-TV
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