Skip to main content

The Magic of a Christmas Forecast


The frenzy picks up every year the week before Christmas at the mention of possible snow in the forecast...and when I say frenzy, I mean businesses start running promotions around it, people stock up on sleds and snowball makers, viewership of weather casts go up just to catch the latest inkling that snow might happen.
I LOVE IT!
Honestly I get caught up in the frenzy too since moving to the South where it's not common at all to have an official white Christmas with an inch of snow or more on the ground. But why?
Christmas is ultimately the celebration of the birth of Christ. To many, a timeless miracle. Families identifying as religious or not are brought together and united. The festivities, parades, concerts and traditions surrounding the special day invoke a spirit of giving and love. The joy felt by believing and celebrating is why people can hardly wait to put up their decorations in November. The anticipation of Christmas Day builds as Santa and his reindeer travel the globe to spread cheer. It becomes more clear through the passed down storytelling and song singing involving a wintry scene like the classic, Jingle Bells, with "dashing through the snow on a one horse open sleigh." 
For a meteorologist, predicting snow for Christmas becomes a prideful duty, along with tracking Santa and his reindeer on radar. It's knowing that we might be able to bring a little more magic to the Christmas spirit and we look forward to that chance of making wishes of a while Christmas come true. Living in the South means that the likelihood of being able to fulfill both in a given year is sadly impossible. 
So what does one do? Personally I hang on to the romanticized magic of snow on Christmas, even if it's just a few flurries, until its no longer atmospherically possible. I revert to the inner child and cross my fingers collectively with everyone else and wait! Wait for that next timeless miracle. :)


To finish up this last post of 2017 I want to send meaningful wishes of health and happiness to all of you for the New Year and joy spent with family and friends during this holiday season. While this Christmas will be spent as a celebration of life for my Grandmother Rukavina, I am grateful that her passing was relatively peaceful and it will bring our family together from near and far after time has separated us for too long. I'm incredibly grateful for my mother, husband, children, in-laws and extended family that they too are healthy and bring much joy to my life. Here's to a prosperous and happy 2018!!!


Comments

Unknown said…
Blessings to you and your this Christmas as well, Jennifer! Thank you for your post and I offer condolences and prayers in the loss of your grandmother. May you and your family find much comfort, and maybe a little laughter, as you reminisce about and honor your grandmother.
Beverly Steele, Mayfield, KY

Popular posts from this blog

Mid-South Winter Outlook 2023-2024

Getting a general idea of what the upcoming Winter months (December, January and February) will look like for our region can be heavily influenced by El Nino and La Nina episodes. Global and oceanic forecasters have observed El Nino conditions in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and an EL NINO ADVISORY has been issued. The episode is expected to continue through Spring (March, April and May) in the Northern Hemisphere. Model projections are pointing to a strong, possibly very strong episode occurrence.  (Current Sea Surface Temps warming off S. America) Meteorologists look at monthly data from Dec - Jan - Feb to determine a winter season average, or define that period of time as Meteorological Winter. An average winter in the Local 6 area shows an average temperature of 37 degrees, average precipitation total of 12.18" and average snowfall of 8.4". The National Weather Service in Paducah has historical data that covers 7 of the past strongest El Nino episodes in the past

Planting Zones Heading North

As our global climate changes, so does our planting zones, helping us determine which flowers/shrubs/trees are hardy in specific areas. The Local 6 area has always been split by 2-3 growing zones so placement becomes very important to those in the agricultural community. The image below represents the average over the past 30 years. Climate Central published the following information:  "What kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees you’ll find at your local nursery depends on your climate — how warm it tends to get in summer, and how cold in winter. A plant that’s happy in Wisconsin might be miserable in Alabama, and vice versa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has formalized these differences into " hardiness zones " — strips of similar climate that run more or less east-to-west (except in the high mountains), where particular plants should do especially well. But as the planet warms under its thickening blanket of greenhouse gases, those zones are shifting northward. Th

Update: Impacts From Tropical Depression Bill

Friday AM Update Heavy rain still appears to be our greatest concern as the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill pass directly over the Local 6 area throughout the day today. A Flash Flood WATCH continues for Southern Illinois, SE Missouri, and the Ohio River counties in Western Kentucky through Saturday. Here is a look at today's forecast concerning rainfall totals from the Weather/Hydrological Prediction Center. In any given area, 2-4 inches of rain will be possible. Low-lying areas are most prone to flash flooding. Showers and storms will increase in coverage and intensity during the day on Friday.  Keep preparedness and awareness in mind as heavy rain moves in. Locate areas of higher ground in the event you need to retreat there. Never drive across flooded roadways. Keep children from playing in flood waters. Water depth and swiftness is difficult to determine. Below is the latest Flash Flooding Potential Briefing from the Paducah National Weather Service.