Weather It Is (A Breather, Yet)

Good Morning:

By this time last year, we had recorded only 11 mm of rain in Efrat. This year, we are close to 150 mm.  Last year, we received almost 300 mm in a week's time, but nearly nothing until March.

After last year's intense winter storm, a blocking pattern developed in western Europe (which directed the rest of the winter time storm-energy into northern Europe).  This year, we generally see that storms transverse across southern Europe, while higher pressure over north-central Europe feeds cold (storm) energy southward, helping to spin up these storms as they approach the eastern Mediterranean.

Looking ahead through this week, however, we see no significant weather.  Yet, we do these a signal for much colder and possibly much wetter weather next week.  Contained within this signal is some unseasonably cold weather. Nevertheless, the possibility of stormy weather remains at this time unclear.  It's possible, but not certain.

On the other hand -- always the optimist -- we ordered larger sized snow bibs for our oldest daughter.  My wife (the Israeli) thinks this sort of funny (if not a waste of money).  I can only say that one would hate to miss the few chances to enjoy the snow for want of proper snow pants.  In my day, we went up north to ski. Here, we are hopeful that we might step outside to build a snowman.  

By the way, after not snowing for three years in a row, we have now had snow three years in a row.  Snowfall amounts in the eastern US have certainly been increasing compared to the decade of the 90s. We should, perhaps, be optimistic.

Barry Lynn