Snow is not an issue this Thanksgiving, but it is chilly. Highs today were only in the 30’s and 40’s. This puts us about ten degrees below normal. The wind also makes it feel colder. Wind gusts were in the 30’s Wednesday and they are in the teens this Thanksgiving in Reno. Gusts topped 50mph on the west side of Tahoe in the high Sierra. With temperatures already in the low 40’s, any wind at all makes it feel ever colder. The wind chill is in the 30’s. This is what it feels like on your skin. Looking back over the years, we’ve seen a wide variety of weather on Thanksgiving. A few years ago we were even in the 70’s. Since 2000, Reno has been in the 30’s on Thanksgiving 3 times, 40’s 4 times, 50’s 11 times, and 70’s twice. Last Thanksgiving it was only 36 degrees in Reno and we got nearly three inches of snow at the Reno Airport. We got just over a tenth of an inch of precipitation at the Reno Airport in 2018. Tahoe City got three inches of snow.
Meteorological winter is only four days away on December 1st. Meteorological winter is when temperatures typically start to cool off. Astronomical winter is when the seasons start to change based on the position of the earth and sun. The earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees and during the winter solstice the earth is facing away from the sun in the northern hemisphere. After a fairly dry winter last year, and dry summer and fall I’m hoping for more snow this winter season. We could definitely use it. With that being said, I’m also thankful for the good snow seasons we’ve received before last year. While we’ve done well for the month of November, we’re still at least a few inches behind for the year beginning January 1st. The rest of the holiday week looks dry and seasonable with temperatures in the mid 40’s Friday and 50’s over the weekend. Have a good Thanksgiving.
