Continued Cold, but Slight Warming will feel nice.

Man is it chilly out there.  Last night I pulled into the driveway around 10pm.  It was 35F.  Colder than 10PM on Thanksgiving, at 7800'.  At 8AM, at 7800 feet, it was -9F.  Even colder in the high elevation valleys.  South Lake was -15F.  Lucky for us, we live in sunny and warm California.  The real cold was in the interior of the country where temperatures as low at -40F (and colder) were recorded.  Mornings will remain cold, but they will slightly moderate by the end of the week.  Daytime temps will be on the rise and we are in for a stretch of sunshine.  About 50F today.  Maybe a touch warmer.  Clear and cold tonight with a freeze warning in effect.  Continue to care for the needy people, pets and plants.  Maybe take a moment and check in on a fellow human being.  Some cold folks over the past few nights.  Tuesday will be warmer still, clocking in at about 55F.

San Lorenzo River, Henry Cowell State Park, Felton, California.  Late Autumn.

Wednesday morning will not be as cold, but still, some areas may drop below 32F.  Still watch those plants.  The rest of the week it looks like lows in the mid 30s and the highs in the upper 50s.  The weekend will be warmer still with lows about 40F and highs about 60F.  Right toasty.  High pressure is setting up over the west and we should be storm free for a week or more.  So, let us check in on the snow.  Tahoe area resorts received from 1 to 3 feet of very light, dry snow from Friday's storm.  If this were wet, heavy snow, it would be a big game on.  But it helps.  So does the cold and snow guns.  Kirkwood is now running 3 lifts, with both on and off piste zones open, offering a nice, small variety of skiing options.  I hear Sugarbowl has decent natural coverage as well.  Most of the other resorts are mostly operating on manmade surfaces at this time.  Northstar has a lot of groomed mileage, and with Burnout now open, at least something to develop leg burn on.  I tell ya, that is one of the best places to hit up in White Ribbon Season.  No storms on the horizon, and what looks like a relatively dry December has some folks worried.  I say go on up and hit it now.  Now, through this coming weekend, the snow should hold up nicely.  Cool days keep the natural stuff in decent shape, and cold nights allows for the guns to blow.  We need more to see the resorts really pop open, but we have a good start.  Fingers crossed, but to be honest, I am not minding the though of another ten days of sunshine.  And maybe a little bit of warmth too.