How fun about your brief Christmas snow in Seattle Gazer.

wagga and IlF, Australia finally made news here tonight on how bad the fires are (were?).

We are likely in for a doozy of a storm system tonight, tomorrow, and Monday. While the southern midwest and southeast parts of the USA is getting hammered with tornadoes (in December? ) we're in for another winter storm. They're talking up to a quarter inch of ice and 4-8" of snow. It's raining pretty hard right now and it's 38F/3C outside. Here's hoping we don't lose power.

wagga and IlF, Australia finally made news here tonight on how bad the fires are (were?).

But the fires have been going for some time. They started in Western Australia about a month ago, then South Australia, rather too close to the famed wine-growing area, followed suit as the air masses generating such heat passed over the Great Australian Bight. Victoria has been badly affected just before last Sunday's heatwave, with bushfires in the countryside to the north of Melbourne. Then though storms passing through eased the problem a little, the bushfires started up again and may not be completely extinguished for a while yet.

New South Wales in the Hunter district has also had problems with fires. A little place called Neath, just outside of Cessnock, adjacent to our own wine-growing areas, had both bushfires and flooding in the same day, due to a sudden storm, last Monday. There are stiff penalties for those who deliberately light fires since they cause so much misery, damage, loss and hardship to humans and animals alike. And we are urged to obey fire restrictions meticulously. But that doesn't mean that fires can't start spontaneously when wind or trees bring down live electric cables, or when lightning strikes.

It is a blessing that we had such pleasant weather over the Christmas. Cool, a little rainy, but not drenching.

wagga and IlF, Australia finally made news here tonight on how bad the fires are (were?).

But the fires have been going for some time.

I know,that was my point. I knew the fires were awful based on your comments here, but we've had next to no news on them that I've heard, up until last night.
They were also talking about how, due to the severe California drought, that the fire season there is still going, all the way into December.
Lots of fires, lots of destroyed homes and property.

We'll be hunkered down today as on the flip side, more than 1/4" of ice is expected. Glancing outside, it looks like we may have had some ice already.

Is someone looking for the sun? we have a bit shining brightly through the window here at the moment. It would be rather pleasant, so long as we can enjoy it from this side of the glass. the temps today are not to reach above 5F with a not too strong breeze.
The news has been full of the weather from the Gulf States. Texas, up to Missouri are getting drenched right now. Anyone in St. Louis should get a good view of the flooding from the Arch.

It snowed again in Seattle yesterday, and by evening the grassy areas wore a light cover of snow. It's gone today, though it remains cloudy, cool, and damp.

I'll return to Minnesota just in time to shovel up to 10 inches (255mm) of new snow, the largest snowfall there since last spring. The cooler temps there will require a little adjustment too, as it's not even been close to freezing here during the days.

Another round of wintry mix is headed our way this evening and over the next few days, but I don't think it will be as bad this time. Plus the roads have only been treated over bridges and overpasses, so it doesn't look like the city is expecting much either.
It's pretty cold now, about average for this time of year. Typical Kansas where winter arrives in January instead of December.

That same winter weather will head northeast after visiting you, fantasia, resulting in just enough snow to mess up the commutes tomorrow and Friday.

But the big weather headline here is the belated arrival of winter cold this weekend. It's going to be hard to get used to real cold after such a warm December. Sunday's high is forecast around 0F/-17C - and we haven't even been below 0F at night this winter so far.

Incidentally, there is an outdoor NFL playoff game here Sunday, and the league has said that it may rank up in the top 10 coldest games ever. The opponents are based in Seattle - not a warm weather city but one not used to this kind of cold (to be fair, we aren't used to it right now either. )

Trivia notes from today's weather report: the low this morning was a balmy 23F/-5C. Two years ago today the low was -23F/-31C, with wind chills around -50F. The airport had some flights grounded since the jet fuel was freezing.

Oh I missed all those posts. There is another fire in Waroona (by the name you, have guessed it is an out back town) it has traveled down to Harvey (a bigger town), my parents say thick smoke is covering the sky. Even ash is droping from the sky. Though the actual fire is not near them. If it made it to them (which I doubt) the whole of bunbury would have been ruined. Though, i think they have it under control now, a volunteer fire fighter (a guy i use to go to school with) is giving updates on facebook. Luckily I left Bunbury when I did to return home to perth (two days ago) or I wouldn't of been able to get through today.

Whether was so hot today aswell. It is 39 degrees at some point. I was so excited looking at the forecast saying it will be a high of 27 C on Monday. I know many of you would thing 27 C is hot but for us it is brilliant.

@IlF, glad to see you are okay. On the news it was Yarloop, near Mandurah that was in trouble. There has been trouble with bushfires along the Great Ocean Road also.

So far, we've had, since December 21st mostly cloudy, cool weather, with plenty of rainfall. Sometimes it has been almost chilly, with temperatures dipping to 17C. This is the first fine day for over a week, with maximum temperatures of 27-29C. Quite pleasant weather we are having at the moment. But I wouldn't bank on it lasting.

Flooding up in the Hunter, and elsewhere, including in Sydney, itself, was quite surprising, given we were supposed to have a hot summer. Queensland also received quite a bit of rain, coming over from Western Australia. It seems those areas have been in drought for some time, and one farmer got quite excited when a river in that area started to flow for the first time in years.

Nasty news with the fires IlF, It is always a bit scary when I hear of people having ash falling. You don't know if one is still hot, and will start another fire.
We had some of the opposite here in the Midwest. while snow is still little to scarce in some places, the temps have now started to drop into what can be expected for the season. -14F below this morning with wind chills reaching -20F or less. Enough to numb the cheeks just after walking a few steps. It is supposed to warm up about 10 degrees in the week, but then snow is supposed to fall mid week.

Yeah anyone in surrounding areas (well the smoke/ash had traveled so far) where told to soak all laws and council workers, worked on the parks and everything encase the ash caused more fires. The wind was going south so I got no smoke in my area since I live in perth which is north of the fires.

Just noticed that is F not C. I thought 10C sound nice but 10F is like -12. I just googled some Australian stats.

HIGHEST RECORDED TEMPERATURE: Oodnadatta, South Australia 50.7 C (123.3 F) on the 2nd January, 1960. LOWEST RECORDED TEMPERATURE: Charlotte Pass, New South Wales -23.0 C (-9.4 F) on the 29th June, 1994.

50C would have been horrible....... also that place name......

10C is just about my ideal temperature, but 10F sounds pretty good right now too.

I can't imagine 50C, IloveFauns, but -23C is just another winter night here.

Yesterday's high was a balmy -1F/-18C. In the past few minutes it just got above 0F for the first time in a couple days, though with the wind it still feels like -30. That's bit nippy - either I'm getting old or I'll have to turn in my polar bear card.

I have been in 46C once. I was a 9 year old living in Queensland without aircon. I think we legit spent the whole day at my granddads house with aircon.

I think 15-20C is my ideal temperature.

After being use to temperature above 0C year round. I would freeze to death in such temperatures of -23C haha. At least I would have an reason to wear a massive coat.

@ILF: Massive coats still are useful to save on electricity even in as mild temperatures as what we are used to. Meanwhile we are getting your heat. Usually about a day or two afterwards. And some rain and cooler weather on Friday I hope.

What happened to our Southerly busters?

I hate winter so much. I used to love it, but I hate living somewhere where the air hurts my face! This can't be natural!