A Day For The Ducks & Birds...

When it's this ugly & cold, it might as well be snowing since that would be prettier. Seems only the birs & squirrels enjoy this stuff?

The problem is a slow moving upper disturbance/low over SE Oklahoma has created a SW upper flow across all of the Gulf.  This has created an extensive cloud & rain shield from south Texas NE towards Florida & Georgia.  Don't let the lack of radar echoes over the Gulf fool you as there are showers there, but they're outside the range of land based radars.

A surface low is trying to form well south of the LA/MS coasts, but so far, it's been a slow process.  I expect the clouds to linger into midday on Monday with some showers still around Sunday afternoon.  Clearly this is a lost weekend for any outside activities.   But it could be worse.  Brutally cold air is reforming over Alaska & northern Canada with temps now 50+ below zero. 

 Models are bringing down some of that chill into the lower 48 for the week AFTER Christmas, but Christmas week for most of us will be mild.  At midday, temps are above freezing for most of the U.S. with Montana in the 50s & Denver in the 60s!

In the short term, today and Sunday look raw, wet & ugly, with Monday improving and Christmas Eve & Day sunny & mild (65-70+).  Things will get interesting for New Year's week as the questions becomes how much of that Arctic air gets into the U.S. and will there be any snowstorms develop along the Polar boundary?   Hard to think about snow when Chicago is 50 and Denver 64.  That could all change during the next 10-14 days.  RIGHT NOW, I see no "Polar Vortex" forming that would bring the cold our way.  Stay tuned!