Head above the clouds

You can’t wish it away! It’s frustrating to view satellite imagery knowing that a layer of clouds, less than a quarter mile thick, has stalled and prohibited peeks of sunshine. Forecasters have learned that trying to predict when a fog layer with lift and thin is very challenging. Often, senior meteorologist would stick with the forecast of cloudy until the sun begins to shine and then issue an update.

Shorter daylight and the increased angle of the sun in the northern latitudes limit the burn off potential. Thus when the forecast of a high temperature of 50 degrees hangs in the balance, and the low clouds linger, the meteorologists come back line is, “it was a nice day at four thousand feet.”

Areas of western Minnesota that enjoyed some afternoon sun saw the mercury climb well into the 40s. As we approach Thanksgiving, we’ll be grateful to top out at 30.

CE