Twas the week before Christmas

Hmmmm...where have I heard that title before? Anyway, the warm weather continues at Santa Rosa Beach while the cold stuff stays locked up further north. Today through Thursday the weather will feature sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s. How does that sound to those tired of sub-zero weather and gloomy overcast skies?

Even the "bad" weather here isn't hard to take. The extended weekend (Friday-Monday) forecast calls for a 20-40% chance of rain with highs creeping into the low 70s. Every day except Monday the prognostication is for at least partly sunny skies for those who are suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder), i.e. lack of sunshine. Oh, and have I mentioned lately that the length of daylight here is longer than up north? Sunrise today was at 6:35 a.m. while sunset won't occur until 4:47 p.m. (all times CST). That adds up to over 10 hours of sunshine even this close to the winter solstice which features the shortest day of the year.

And to make matters even better the jet stream is keeping itself well north of Santa Rosa Beach. This upper air graphic shows how far south over the western U.S. that "river of air" dips this coming weekend:

Even northern Mexico will feel the effects of the dip while the Florida Gulf Coast is warmed by southwesterly flow off the Gulf of Mexico waters.

So if you want/crave/need a break from winter plan a trip to Casablanca on 30A. It's more like spring here!!

"Steady Eddie" weather at the beach

Growing tired of the temperature and weather rollercoaster plaguing most of the U.S.? C'mon down to Santa Rosa Beach where the thermometer readings are a lot more pleasant. For example, while the Mid-Atlantic states had ice and snow Sunday (which mostly melted Monday) the same areas are dealing with more snow today. That miserable weather will be followed by several days of much-below normal temperatures as another round of Arctic air plunges southward.

But at Casablanca on 30A? Things are much better than further north! Today's weather is a bit breezy with morning showers and a high in the mid-50s, but tomorrow and the rest of the work week ushers in sunshine and high temperatures in the mid-60s. That kind of temperature regime is a lot easier to deal with than - for instance - what Washington DC is looking at this week, with highs in the low 30s followed by another weekend chance at frozen precipitation.

The rest of December holds promise of more Arctic air plunging southward into the nation's midsection while the Florida panhandle escapes the chill. Here's the latest Climate Prediction Center temperature forecast graphic for the runup to Christmas:

Both the western and southeastern U.S. look to warm up while the "frozen North" stays frozen. Want a break from winter over Christmas? Check out Santa Rosa Beach and Casablanca on 30A!

Escaping the brutal Arctic blast

Much of the nation is or soon will be shivering under a powerful blast of Arctic air that is literally coming across the North Pole from Siberia. The cold temperatures are potentially record-setting in many locales for early December and would even feel cold during mid-January. BUT....Santa Rosa Beach will escape the brutal cold!! Check out this high temperature forecast graphic for next Tuesday (12/10) which looks similar to the temperature map for most of this week:

The white oval in the Florida panhandle indicates Santa Rosa Beach.  Check out the temperatures there versus the rest of the nation! The shallow and dense layer of frigid air just won't have enough punch to make it to the Florida Gulf Coast. The nearby clash between the cold and warm air masses will result in a 20-30% chance of rain for Casablanca on 30A from Thursday on but it won't be a total washout.

So with high temperatures in the upper 60's and 70s and lows in the mid-50s it looks like a great time to head south to Santa Rosa Beach to escape December's Arctic plunge. Check it out!