Fifth earliest snowfall on record

At the beginning of September I posted that there might be an early winter. Well, the weather cooperated. On October 12th, the Salt Lake valley received measurable snow in the 5th earliest snowfall recorded (since 1928). This doesn't mean winter proper has arrived. We are still experiencing autumn. It just means things they are a changing.

I didn't post this on a whim. I posted it because the PDO has flipped to it's cool phase. This will likely lead to a cooler climate in the western US and ultimately the world. This is the first time since the 1970s that the PDO has been this consistently negative.

Update:
Just so nobody thinks it is Jennifer patting herself on the back: Posted by Lyman :)

The End of Summer

Summer has come to and end here in the valley of the Great Salt Lake. A big storm is dropping rain as I type this. This will make up for the dry summer we've had.


Earlier as the cold front was passing, I took a photo looking east toward the Wasatch Front. The only front visible is the cold front. This could be Erie. Gray, and no mountains visible. I'll try to remember to take a picture Tuesday after the storm passes so that a comparison to clear skies can be made. Update (9/1): I've added the clear sky picture and also a close up of the mountains with snow on the peaks (below).







This is a fairly early end to summer in comparison to recent years. Now we wait to see if winter arrives early. I remember 1985, when I was a sophomore at East High. At the end of September, it snowed and it didn't warm up. The PE coaches decided to take all activity inside that year until the spring. I wasn't too pleased. I doubt winter will arrive in September but I would not be surprised by an early winter in, say, mid-October this year.