Bethlehem Public Library 📍

A rainy and dark but mild for the start of the Christmas Eve holiday. Around 39 or 40 degrees this morning. Certainly not the 72 degrees of a year ago. The risk of freezing rain around the city has disappeared with the warmer temperatures that stayed with us throughout the night. 

For the rest of today look for near constant temperatures around 40 under cloudy skies.   Seven degrees above normal. South wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had fog, rain and a high of 72 degrees. The record high of 72 was set in 2015. 13 inches of snow fell back in 1966. Unlike 1966, sixty-nine and twenty ought two we probably aren’t going to have a very snowy Christmas but as is common there will be some snow in the Adirondacks. 

Cooled offers enough last night that by morning it was pretty chilly in the apartment. But it warmed up quickly as morning approached. Still a very gray and dreary morning with the clouds and rain. 

The sun will set at 4:27 pm with dusk around 4:59 pm, which is 38 seconds later than yesterday. Today will have 9 hours and 3 minutes of daylight, an increase of 16 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low of 33 degrees at 5am. 15 degrees above normal. Northwest wind around 9 mph. In 2015, it got down to 35 degrees with periods of rain. The record low of -22 occurred back in 1969.

Tomorrow I was thinking about going camping but again it looks like it will be a very cold evening with temperatures hovering around zero in the Adirondacks, so I may wait another week. I’ve tent camped down to about 16 degrees but tomorrow night will be much colder in the Adirondacks. Plus I’m not crazy about getting out everything in the attic for one day at camp. I do want to get back to the Adirondacks but maybe next weekend if it’s not so cold. 

Next Saturday is New Years Eve when the sun will be setting at 4:32 pm with dusk at 5:04 pm. On that day in 2015, we had rain and temperatures between 43 and 37 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 61 back in 1895.

At this point we are down to 23 degrees as the cold air continues to push in. Definitely winter like out there, although the wind hasn’t really picked up much yet. 14 degrees by morning.

Tomorrow will be cold as promised. Some snow showers, mainly after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high of 21 degrees at 11am. 15 degrees below normal. Wind chill values as low as -1. Breezy, with a west wind 14 to 19 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. A year ago, we had rain and a high of 61 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 2015. 8.2 inches of snow fell back in 1968. The sun will rise at 7:18 am with the first light at 6:46 am, which is 43 seconds later then yesterday.

Looking ahead, First Day of Winter is Next Wednesday, Valentines Day is in 2 months, March 1st is in 11 weeks, Ides of March is in 13 weeks, Good Friday is in 4 months, Average High is 60 is in 18 weeks, Mother’s Day is in 5 months, Flag Day is in 6 months and Summer is in 27 weeks.

Good morning! A snowy start to our Monday. Snow and 31 degrees in Delmar. There is a south-southeast breeze at 14 mph. We got about three inches of snow  last night. It won’t last with warmer temperatures expected later. The skies will clear around 4 pm.

Look for  rain showers and snow before noon, then a slight chance of rain showers between noon and 1pm. High of 41 degrees at 1pm. Five degrees above normal. South wind 8 to 14 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly cloudy skies and a high of 57 degrees. The record high of 62 was set in 1979. 6.6 inches of snow fell back in 1970.

Good evening! Light snow and 27 degrees in Delmar. There is a south-southeast breeze at 13 mph. The current wind chill is 16. We have about an inch of snow on the ground in Delmar with about two more inches on the way. Warming up to 41 tomorrow so it won’t last. 

Tonight will continue to have some  light snow before midnight, then snow after midnight. Low of 27 degrees at 10pm. Four degrees above normal. South wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. Probably an inch on top of the existing inch by 2 AM, then may be one more by 5 AM. In the city I expect few impacts for commuters by day break. In 2015, it got down to 34 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. The record low of -12 occurred back in 1988.

Waxing Gibbous Moon tonight with 87% illuminated. When the snow lets up the moon light is peaking through an illuminating the snow covered landscape. The moon will set around 7:12 am. The Full “Cold” Moon is on Wednesday night with mostly cloudy skies expected and chance of snow.

Tomorrow will have a mix bag of rain, snow, and sleet, becoming all rain after 10am. High of 41 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees above normal. That should melt all the slop away.  South wind 8 to 14 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly cloudy skies and a high of 57 degrees. The record high of 62 was set in 1979. 6.6 inches of snow fell back in 1970. Tomorrow won’t be like 1970. The sun will rise at 7:16 am with the first light at 6:44 am, which is 49 seconds later then yesterday.

Mostly fixed the video problems with watching videos on my laptop. Ended up getting two DVDs from the library, one about the geology of America. It was a NOVA special, and quite well done. Watched it for several hours this evening, while I was working on maps with the October 2016 local area unemployment statistics. Interesting stuff. Should have some good maps to post later. 

Picked up the groceries I need for the week, took some sinus medication and drank a lot of water (to help avoid getting plugged sinuses), and I’m feeling better. Hopefully I caught it in time and the minor discomfort and aching I had this morning is done and won’t come back come tomorrow after sleeping in bed with my neck back. We’ll see. 

Looking ahead, Christmas is in 2 weeks, New Years Day is in 3 weeks, My 34th Birthday is in 7 weeks, Daylight Savings Time is in 13 weeks, Palm Sunday is in 17 weeks, Easter is in 18 weeks, Mother’s Day is in 22 weeks and Father’s Day is in 27 weeks.