“Earlier this week, snow covered more than half of the continental United States, the highest this measure has reached for this date in a decade, according to government scientists.
As of Dec. 15, the white, fluffy stuff covered 53 percent of the lower 48, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported. That’s a significantly higher portion than in recent years. In 2006, for example, snow covered just 12 percent of the lower 48 states on the same date, according to Climate Central, a climate news website.
November and early December have been quite chilly for much of the country. The average monthly temperature in the continental United States in November was 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit (0.2 degrees Celsius), which is below the 20th century average, Climate Central noted.
The cold has continued into mid-December for most of the country. “With the noteworthy exception of Alaska, nearly every state was affected by the unusually cold air at some point during the November-to-December timeframe, with temperatures dipping down to at least minus 43 [degrees] F (minus 42 C) in Montana on Dec. 8, and running 10 to 20 [degrees] F (5.5 to 11 C) below average elsewhere,” Climate Central reported.”
This morning, it was -9 F when I put the youngest ‘Grok dog out for her normal routine(s).
