Good morning! Definitely a bright and sunny morning on this State of the State Day. We are at 10 degrees on our way up to 24. Next Wednesday is Coldest Day of Year (Avg. 14-30 degrees). I don’t think that will be the case, although tomorrow will be close to normal with light snow pushing in as the Nor’Easter impacts mostly the coast. And now to the big countdown clock…

Only 76 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!

Today will be sunny, with a high of 24 degrees at 2pm. Seven degrees below normal. South wind 5 to 7 mph. A year ago, we had light freezing drizzle and mist in the morning, which became light rain and mist by afternoon. The high last year was 37 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 1913. 12 inches of snow fell back in 2003.

The sun will set at 4:35 pm with dusk around 5:06 pm, which is 56 seconds later than yesterday. At sunset, look for mostly sunny conditions and 22 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 9 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 57 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a slight chance of snow after 4am. Increasing clouds, with a low of 13 degrees at 1am. Two degrees below normal. Maximum wind chill around 7 at 8pm; South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2017, we had light rain and mist in the evening, which became light drizzle and fog by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 22 degrees. The record low of -15 occurred back in 1904.

So as you’ve been reading on my blog, today is State of the State Day. The ordinary routine returns. I wonder what the governor will have to say at his address. I really have no insight, although I’ve heard it’s going to be tough budget year with the state revenues not coming and schools more dependent than ever before on state aid. The governor’s climate proposals are interesting but I want to learn more from both sides. 

With winters much more mild they used, we’ve forgotten what a real winter feels like encrusted with salt, our faces stinging from the cold. Still not enough snow locally though for snowmobiling. 

It looks like we will be getting a bit of snow tomorrow, but I don’t think it will be a big deal locally. I should study the weather maps a bit more. I heard rain and a mix bag for Monday after a very frigid weekend. 

I’m hoping for a quiet weekend, so I can work on my electronic projects. Then maybe for the following weekend the weather will be good enough for a winter camping trip during Martin Luther King Jr weekend. I find it hard to accept its already January. Hopefully that is a sign that spring will come around quickly. 

I discovered reading that I might need a capacitor to smooth out the current for the Max7219 led matrix if I link more than four together. I hope I have the required capacitor at home or otherwise I’ll have to order some. It’s just a pain in the ass to no longer have RadioShack around to run down to an pick up small electronics parts. It’s because most people just buy disposable electronics and throw them in the landfill, incinerator or burn barrel. 

As previously noted, next Wednesday is Coldest Day of Year (Avg. 14-30 degrees) when the sun will be setting at 4:42 pm with dusk at 5:13 pm. On that day in 2017, we had rain, snow, cloudy skies and temperatures between 38 and 17 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 30 degrees. We hit a record high of 55 back in 2016.