Record December Warmth Engulfs Western U.S.; Will Spread ..

NOAA's extended forecast for days surrounding
Christmas show strong chances of above normal
temperatures, with probably some record
highs thrown in, across much of the southern
U.S. It appears New England will stay cold. 

While most of the U.S. froze in the past 

few days, the western United States has been basking in record December heat. 

Atmospheric rivers during much of last week brought devastating flooding in Washington State. Those also brought record warmth.   

Yakima, Washington reached 72 degrees on Wednesday and Richland reached, 71 degrees, the hottest temperature for the entire month of December Several Washington cities had overnight lows in the 50s, breaking records for highest minimum temperatures for the date. 

The next day - Thursday -  it cooled off a little in Washington, but the record highs continued. Those records included 66 in Yakima; 64 in Mountain Home, Idaho; 63 degrees in Twin Falls, Idaho, and 58 in Burns, Oregon. 

On Thursday, it was 63 degrees in Salt Lake City, tying the record for the date. 

Thursday's winter heat extended south into the southwestern U.S. Clayton, New Mexico had a record high of 82 degrees. Las Vegas on Thursday tied their record high of 74. Flagstaff, Arizona tied their record with 68 degrees. 

The long warm spell in the West has an exception. The Central Valley of California has been locked in a chilly fog. It's called the Tule Fog, and is pretty common during the central California valley, which includes Sacramento, Fresno and on south to near Bakersfield. 

But this one has been incredibly persistent. The valley floor has been locked in this fog for more than two weeks.

The Tule fog has kept cities like Sacramento relentlessly cool, with almost no variation in temperature. Readings in Sacramento have stayed between 40 and 47 degrees each of the eight days between December 7 and 13.

Meanwhile, elevations higher than 1,200 above sea level in the foothills near Sacramento have been enjoying sunshine and abnormally high temperatures for December. 

The Tule fog aside, almost the entire West has been quite warm all autumn.  November was the hottest on record in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. The rest of the West had one of its three or four hottest Novembers. 

The warmth that's been bottled up in the West is poised to surge eastward. By the time we get to the days leading up to Christmas, it looks like parts of the Desert Southwest, the southern Plains and maybe states near the Gulf of Mexico could see record high temperatures.  

As I mentioned in an earlier post, it will turn somewhat warmer, at least at times here in Vermont starting later this week, but we won't fully get into the balmy pre-Christmas air.