Freezing Point
>> Wednesday, October 23, 2013
With a Frost Advisory in place for most of the area it could be the first time since April 21 that we fall to 32 degrees or below in Reading and May 14 in Allentown. It's just another sign that winter is approaching. If that doesn't remind you, turning the clocks back will.
In just over a week the sun will be setting an hour earlier and the days of darkness quickly expand. It reminds me from a weather standpoint November is probably my least favorite month. Gone are the temperature fluctuations of October. Take the current month for example. The first six days hit at least 80. The last week of the month might not make it to 60. Last November the average temperature was 41. October's was 56.
The instant darkness is the first kick in the ass November brings. Regardless of your fondness for winter there is nothing exciting about watching the only daylight hours through the window of your office. Give it one day after the clocks roll back before someone surely says, I can't believe it is only 5:30.
Even worse is the cold, chilly and damp air mass that November has the tendency to usher in. It's the type of cold that can go right through you. It's heavy unlike the cold, dry air of mid winter. With an average high of 53 and low of 35 (Reading) the temperature stays in the range of uncomfortable and awkward. Not cold enough for the thick winter jacket, no warmth in a thin-layered coat and a bit too damp for a heavy sweater. Add in precipitation and it only gets worse.
November averages around 3.5 inches of rain. While that isn't the most in a month it is rather high for the colder months from November thru March. Be reminded that most of this falls in liquid precipitation with those temperatures hovering around 40. To me there is little worse than a cold rain. It is impossible to stay warm. Luckily last year we actually had more snow than rain. Not likely going to happen this year.
I often feel the six month period between fall and spring mirror each other in some way. For instance January and February both share the heart of winter in our area. We generally see our heaviest snows in these months and the difference in average temperatures are only a few degrees. Moving away from the heart we get December and March. One forms the beginning of winter and the other sees the end. Take last year for example. We had 5.6 inches of snow in December and 4.9 inches in March. On the outer cusp we get November and April. The only difference is one ushers in crappy weather and the other welcomes the sites and sounds of spring.
It's hard to make a good case for November. It has what I like to call the triple D's. Darkness. Dampness. Deadness. Put your head down and plow through it. Eventually the snowstorms will come. Even if you aren't a fan of winter, most would agree it is nicer to see the white dustings of snow as opposed to the brown backdrop of dead grass, bare trees and crumpled piles of leaves.
