New Thread coming soon.   Winter Storm Watch north of a line from Grand Haven to Alma for 6″ or more snowfall.  This is going to be a big storm, with very strong winds Thurs. night and Friday.  The wind will be strong enough for some isolated power outages.   All areas will see enough snow to cause slick roads.    GRR NWS says:  “HIGH WINDS AND SNOW WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE SNOW TOTALS GREATER THAN 6 INCHES POSSIBLE.” The GRR NWS afternoon discussion says:  “NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR THIS AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND  FRIDAY.  SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES IN THE WATCH AREA…UP TO A FOOT ACROSS THE FAR NORTH…40 TO 50 MPH WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA”.  We also have Storm Warnings for Lake Michigan (that’s the next step up from GAle Warnings).  The warning is for winds as high as 55 knots (!!) and waves as high as 33 FEET  (!!!!!!!).

Overnight run of the NAM (Caribou) gives 2.9″ of snow to G.R.(1.03″ total precipitation), 6.6″ to Mason Co. after an inch of rain and a whopping 14″ of snow for the higher elevations from Cadillac to Lake City.  The GFS has 2.3″ of snow for G.R., and 0.89″ total precipitation (it also has light rain and 33 degrees on Christmas Eve…Santa won’t be very happy if that comes true – the European model has no measurable precipitation on Christmas Day).  The GFS gives Cadillac 17.5″ of snow!  However, I often halve the high snow totals off the GFS.  However, even 8-9″ with 30 mph winds, that would certainly be a “snow day” for schools that might be in session…probably some businesses, too.  The European has 0.96″ total precipitation for G.R. with about 2 to 2 1/2″ of snow.  The GFS and European look pretty chilly from Dec. 26-31 with nothing warmer than low-mid 30s.  Here’s the National Watch/Warning Map.

I saw this on Drudge, a cool picture of Mt. Everest that you can move around.   Alaska has been super-cold.  Fairbanks was -48F Monday, the coldest pre-Christmas temperature since 1977 and the coldest December temperature since 1999.  Fort Yukon was -56F.  McGrath dipped to -49 and they have over 2 feet of snow on the ground there.  Northway had a high/low of -42/-51 on Tuesday.  The whole state was chilly with Anchorage reporting a high/low of +5/-8 and Juneau reaching a high of only 18.   Much of the Western U.S. was cool.  Temperatures on Tues. stayed in the 30s in Seattle.  Other highs:  61 San Diego, 62 Phoenix.  Much of the East was mild, with highs of 50 in Boston, 60 in Philadelphia and St. Louis, 79 in Dallas and 89 in Laredo TX.   Over two feet of snow caused power outages and toppled trees near Plain and Lake Wenatchee, Washington and small hail fell in parts of N. Carolina, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania (inc. Philadelphia).