On the second to last day of 2010, we finally got a real snow storm, and what a storm it was! On youtube.com, there is a video of the 20+ car pile-up on South Carefree and Powers, due to the icy, freezing cold conditions. Today's high was around 12. Tonights forecast says to expect a low of 9 below! Brrr! Despite the icy roads and numerous road closures, our total snowfall amount around here was about 3 inches. Not much, but when combined with arctic cold it made for very treacherous road conditions. My plans for visiting my sister this New Years Eve have been cancelled. Alas, we will be staying at home where it is safe and warm.
On another note, local meteorologist Mike Madson, reported on his blog, http://cordillerablogs.com/mmadson, that the reason this fall/winter has been so very dry is because we are in an el nina. Ocean temperatures are lower than normal, which make the great plains of the Rocky Mountains dry and mild. In fact, we are back in drought status thanks to the excessive dryness. My skin can attest to that.
