Here we are in the final few days of 2019! I hope everyone had a great Christmas, or Hanukkah and that you all get some good luck headed into 2020! The final day of the year is going to be near average for most of us and warmer than what we saw on Monday. I know it has been on the warm side as of late and we have been plagued with dry air for nearly the entire month of December. With that said, we will end the year with a surplus of precipitation! In fact, we will be more than five inches in a surplus here in Lubbock. By the end of 2019, Lubbock will have over nine inches more of rain than what we saw to end 2018! It has definitely been a good rain year in west Texas. We do not get to say that too often at all!
Ok, on to the New Year's forecast! Things will be uneventful, weather wise, on December 31. There will be plenty of sunshine and dry air in west Texas. The wind is actually going to be light; sustained at only 5-10 mph. By midnight, expect clear skies and a temperature of 31° as we move into 2020! New Year's Day will actually see warmer air and more sunshine. The wind is going to increase to 15-20 mph in the afternoon. That is going to be the bad news as we head into the new year. Other than that, have a safe and fun New Year's Eve and let's start 2020 on a good note!
I mentioned above how we have seen really good rain in Lubbock in 2019. Well, apparently 2020 is not going to get the message. The precipitation outlook for January 5-9 is calling for a 30% chance of below average precipitation for our entire area. There was a brief spark a few days ago with some rain and storms that moved through, but the west Texas dry air will be winning out to start off the new year. The only good news I can report is that if you are a skier. The mountains of New Mexico have been blessed with plenty of snow as of late. If you're headed to ski for the upcoming holiday, conditions will be perfect.
I never know what to say this time of year when I show the temperature forecast. The above photo is giving most of west Texas a 30% chance of above average high temperatures for the time period of January 5-9. I tend to say that is bad news, because it will not feel like it should for January. On the other hand, I know probably all of you don't want to freeze while shopping, heading back to work, or school, or just trying to do anything outdoors. No need to worry. The highlighted areas will see highs in the mid 50s, into the low and mid 60s for the time frame noted. The mornings will still be cold, but the afternoons will be feeling more like early March.