Sprinkles and gray; not a great day

Thought the overall clearing that occurred at around 8 PM yesterday afternoon was going to be much earlier.  So kind of disappointed there, as all of us weatherfolk are when things don’t go right.    I thought I was going to see some nice small to moderate Cu amid big sunbreaks during the afternoon.   Instead, that incoming Altocu-Stratocu deck from a mostly wasted Pac NW storm had more in it than it looked like on the sat images.  That’s what passed over and occluded the forecast.  Still, there was quite an afternoon clearing at one point, if a brief one…..  So, I guess I was partly right after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, I do get to report a trace of rain in the past 24 h today, which is always good.  Hope you saw it, too, to put a bright spot on an otherwise dismal day.

That incoming deck that piled on top of the residual Stratocu here that was  topping Samaniego Ridge, was cold enough to produce virga, and some it fell into the clouds below which allowed it to reach the ground rather than dry up.

Also, some of those lower clouds built upward into that higher deck and developed ice, one produced quite a shaft briefly on the Catalinas.  That was the surprise of the day, since it appeared to be too stable for  that kind of development.

Mods had no rain around here, too, so they’re a little red-faced, as well.

Here are a few other shots from your cloud day:

 

 

Sun was able to sun behind the backedge of that Sc cloud deck and produced some spectacular lighting on Sam Ridge.

The weather WAY ahead, that is,  after the long dry spell now starting…

Still looking at storms passing through here as December winds down and during the first week of January, likely with cold, possibly exceptional cold,  in the West.  “Stay tuned”, of course.