Slightly warmer, snow and a Xmas poem for you

Good Morning Augusta

This morning we have snow showers with 1 to 3 inches possible and a high of 21°F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight we’ll have cloudy with snow of less than one inch before midnight. Low will be 18°F. Winds light and variable.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 62%, the Dew Point is -5.4ºF and the outdoor temp is 4.8ºF.

The wind direction is  West Southwest between 0.2 MPH and 0.4 MPH, with a wind chill of 4.8°F.

The Relative pressure is 30.03, the Absolute pressure is 29.83 and falling with a weather graphic indicating snow.

The UV rating is 0 out of 16, Sunrise is 7:10 a.m. Sunset is 4:01 p.m., Moonrise is 7:09 a.m., Moonset is 4:41 p.m. and tonight we have a new moon being 0% illuminated.

The RAW METAR readings from the city of Augusta’s airport are:

METAR KAUG 181053Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M14/M17 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP229 T11441167

Visibility is 10.0 Miles / 16.1 kilometers with clear skies at the moment, but that’s not going to last.

We didn’t receive any snow here over the past 24 hours.

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today’s Solar flux is 72, the solar wind speed is 643 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

Folks, it’s the week before Christmas and the cooking/baking frenzy is upon many of us.  What follows is penned by my lovely wife Janet.

“Twas the week before Christmas, And all through this house

Panic ensued, scaring even the mouse.

A holiday coming, what to make for dessert?

Get it baked, get it cooked, while remaining unhurt.

I examined the pantry with critical care,

And saw what I needed, sitting right there

A light on the flour looked like new fallen snow,

and I turned up the volume on a new cooking show

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but my smiling husband saying: “can I help you, dear?”

In my best stern voice, I’m lively and quick,

I called out “stay out of my way, go away, make it quick.”

More rapid than eagles my movements all came,

I whistled, and shouted, and called out each name:

“Now Fudge, now Brownies, now Fruitcake and Toffee,

“Some Cookies, some Teacakes, some Blintzes and spiked coffee!

“To the Mixer and Oven! To the Pantry for All!

Stay out of the kitchen, unless I should call!”

All kinds of spices sat safely in a rack,

“Hey, I see what I need all the way in the back!”

By now I was covered  in flour from my head to my feet,

“I’ve finally found something, and it’s really sweet!”

The stump of a cork I held tight in my teeth,

And the smell of the brandy circled my head like a wreath.

I had a smile on my face as I soaked fruit for a cake

“It will be great so make no mistake!

I’ll be chubby and plump, a jolly old elf,

If I don’t stop eating and nipping, and get a grip on myself.”

With a wink of my eye and no cork left to shred

I stopped nipping the bottle and had nothing to dread.

Not a nip or a word, I went back to my work,

I filled the gift bags, then turned with a jerk,

And laying my finger aside of my nose

And giving a nod, flew up the stairs for repose.

I sprang to my bed, to the Elf gave a whistle,

And to sleep I fell, like the down of a thistle

But I heard my husband say, as I fell off for the night -

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!