Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The sun emerged yesterday at midday, backlighting white pines up on the hillside above Hinesburg Hollow as the snow subsided.

Morning Observation:

This morning in Huntington at 6:45AM it’s currently 35 degrees under overcast skies. A light sleet has just started to fall so be careful out there driving. Winds are out of the south at 0-5mph. Relative humidity is 91%, dewpoint 33, barometric pressure 30.01″ and falling. 24hr high was (is) 35, low 17. We have just a bit o’ crusty snow on the ground.

Forecast:

Low pressure and an associated warm front will move into the region today bringing us mostly cloudy skies with mixed precipitation in the morning, changing over to all rain later. Highs will be an unseasonably warm 45°F with winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain is 100%. Tonight will bring overcast skies with rain. Lows will be an unseasonably warm 34°F with winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain is 90% with rainfall amounts near 0.2″ possible.

Thursday’s looking overcast with a chance of rain in the morning. Highs will continue on the warm side – around 39°F – with winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain is 40%. Thursday night should be overcast with a chance of snow after midnight. Lows will be around 23°F with winds less than 5 mph. Chance of snow is 30%.

Friday look for overcast skies with a chance of snow in the morning, then mostly cloudy skies with a chance of snow. Highs will be a more seasonable 30°F with winds less than 5 mph. Chance of snow is 30%. Friday night should be overcast in the evening, then mostly cloudy. Lows will be around 9°F with winds less than 5 mph.

Almanac:

Last year on this date we had a high of 25 and a low of 19. We picked up 0.25″ of snow and had 5″ on the ground.

Burlington norms for this date are highs of 31°F and lows of 15°F.
Record high was 61°F in 1957.
Record low was -22°F in 1955.

Sky Notes:

Sunrise: 7:24 AM EST
Sunset: 4:15 PM EST
Length Of Visible Light: 9h 57m
Length of Day: 8h 51m
Tomorrow will be 0m 0s shorter (Solstice!)

The Moon is a waning crescent, 26d 5h old with 14% illumination.
Moonrise: 3:51 AM EST
Moonset: 1:34 PM EST

The Winter Solstice occurs tonight (well, really tomorrow morning) at 12:30AM EST. This is the moment when the earth’s axial tilt is at its steepest with the northern hemisphere angled away from the plane of the sun by 23° 26′. It’s the shortest day of the year and the longest night, and is the astronomical beginning of winter.