Winter Is Here

I enjoyed that high of 39 on Thursday the 6th - even more so because it was sunny for the third time in four days, which is a rarity here lately. Today we have had about a 1/2" of snow, with the majority falling this morning. Tonight into early morning, we will get brushed by a storm system that will primarily affect far southern North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and central Minnesota. We should probably get 1-2" of snow out of this, maybe 3" if we're lucky (we never are - why did I entertain that thought?). Then on Sunday, I am not sure we'll get any warmer than 5ºF with wind chills of -15ºF to -20ºF. Not quite a 'Hounds of Winter' air mass, but getting close. From then on, it looks like a pretty typical North Dakota December (highs 15º-20ºF, lows +/- 5ºF of zero) until the pattern changes. There is an outside chance we reach the freezing mark on Wednesday, but with a snow pack in place and the absence of a significant pattern change by mid-week, I'd put the chances somewhere between highly unlikely and nearly impossible. Ahhh....and so begins the next 4 months of my life.