If you like snow, take some time to enjoy it the next several days, because it’s going to be much warmer with rain later this week. Ski resorts and snowmobile trails have beautiful snow to play in right now, but a good share of this will be gone by the end of the week.

Above is the 6-10 Day Temperature Outlook for Dec. 31 – Jan. 4. Look warm to unseasonably warm over the eastern half of the country with near average temperatures over much of the West.

The overnight run of the GFS model gives Grand Rapids high temperatures in the low-mid 20s today (Tue.), low 30s on Wed. and low 40s on Thursday. Both the GFS and European models have taken temps. to near 50 degrees later this week.

Much of the country will see above average precipitation during the period from New Years Eve into the first week of January, including much of the Great Lakes. With the warmer temperatures, much of this will fall as rain.
Precipitation Forecast for Dec. 26 – Jan. 2

The map above is the precipitation forecast from the Climate Prediction Center. Much of West Michigan is expected to get around 3/4″ of mainly rain. Fairly heavy rain is forecast throughout much of the South and look at the rain (and mountain snow) they are going to get on the West Coast…in fact in most areas west of the Continental Divide.

Forecast high and low temperatures from the European computer model. It gives Grand Rapids a high temperature of 23 today (Mon), 24 tomorrow…then up to 37 on Wednesday and 45 on Thursday (with maybe a little sunshine?).

The water level of Shasta Lake, the largest reservoir in California, is up 12 feet since one year ago. While it’s still below average, a rainy period here will bring the level much closer to average by mid-January.

NOTE: The 17″ snow cover in Grand Rapids (airport) Sunday morning was the 2nd highest snow depth we’ve ever had on Christmas morning. The record is 22″ on 12/25/1951.