Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Temperature Rollercoaster!

As though it were a play piece in a Shoots-and-Ladders game, the mercury in the old thermometer has soared and swooped and slid and climbed like crazy since 6 PM yesterday. At that time it was a mere 33 degrees outside, just barely above freezing--but above it was. That's when some one must have lit a fuse for the temperature took off like a rocket! (In truth, that was when the winds, which had been moribund all day, suddenly came from the south at 25-30 mph.) By 10 PM the thermometer registered 57 degrees--up 14 degrees in 4 hours--at night. The mercury must have peaked soon after and begun its descent. (My recording thermometer resets at midnight so any record from between 10 and 12 last night is lost to the ether. But at 1 AM it was still 50 degrees which is likely to be the high for the day.) By 7 AM this morning it was down to 36 degrees and now, at 9 AM it is a chilly 34 degrees with winds coming from the north-northwest at 10-15 mph. The forecast is for it to remain in the mid-30s for the next day or two before dropping into the 20s for the weekend. Just about where the average high for this location at this time of year should be.

The warm temperatures and heavy overnight rains did melt nearly all the ice and snow that had accumulated. Now, everything is just muddy.

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