Friday, March 10, 2017

january's return... (pm.10.mar.17)>

Friday's stats:

Low temp: 36.0F (2.2C)
High temp: 48.6F (9.2C)
Precipitation: 0.49" (1.2cm) -- both rain and melted sleet/snow
*all stats updated thru midnight

The average high temperature by this stage of March is 63ºF/17ºC, and the average low is around 48ºF/9ºC -- so we are obviously way below the mark.  In fact, temperatures the last couple of days have looked very similar to what we would expect during about the third week of January, at least according to historical averages.

An extremely deep and cold low pressure circulation continues to hover just to our west and northwest this evening, with the counter-clockwise flow drawing milder, moisture-laden air northward up against the outer ranges of the Himalayas.  Of course that milder air gets immediately condensed into clouds and precipitation as it encounters the much colder air aloft -- with thunder this afternoon the tell-tale sign of the turbulence and instability in the atmosphere.  We've had soft snow grains/pellets and mushy snowflakes right here in the main market of McLeod Ganj since the mid- to late afternoon... something that occurs only very rarely this late in the winter season.

Occasional showers of rain, sleet and snow will remain quite likely through tomorrow (Sat) night, but then we'll see a gradually stabilizing atmosphere thereafter.  Although we can't totally rule out some isolated/random showers next week, we should see temperatures moderate day by day, as we attempt to scratch and claw our way back to weather conditions that are at least a little closer to normal for mid-March.