In the Bleak Early Winter...Week of 11.28 Update

We trust everyone's gorging went according to plan. The good news, kids, is that there are--count 'em with me now--a mere 19 school days until our next glorious respite from our places of higher learning.

Historically, there's about a 60% chance of snow day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of the ten biggest snow storms to hit the Albany area in the month of December, about four of them fell before the 24th. Even though some people are chafed by the idea of going to school all the way until the 23rd--the nerve of these school committees!--the late release will actually increase your odds of having a snow day before the holiday break.

The forecast for December? As our good friend Maury the GSD janitor says, "Bubkis!" Unseasonably warm at the beginning of this week and then temps will dip gradually as we move toward the weekend. As far as precip goes, there just isn't much on the horizon so you're looking at one full week of school and quite likely two with no weather-induced holidays or disruptions. We'll say it again--bubkis.

What we need is a shift in the jet stream. We need cold air and we need it bad. There's a rumor among the NOAA guys and gals that the much needed shift is on the way--cold air is looming out there above Canada--but the big, bad Northern winds may not not appear until the December 10-15 window or after.

Our friend Maury the janitor also says that good things come to those who wait. That's all we have to go on right now. Once the jet stream does shift--and it inevitably will--it's usually an indication that we'll have a good three or four weeks' worth of storms.