Well there really isn't much to say about our weather...everything that I talked about this week is coming about as expected...it's slowly getting hotter out there, SE winds will turn towards the SSE tomorrow, so low to mid 90s seem assured. Monday we may go up a bit more. As a result of this a HEAT ADVISORY is in effect for the region and that probably will get upgraded. The modelling is shooting for highs near or above 100. I don't at this point buy those numbers...the NAM has been running 3-5 degrees to high on the warmest days so far this year. For all the reasons mentioned yesterday and also a lack of strong mixing (not that much wind and more of a southerly component tomorrow) I'm max out the highs around 96 I think.

So with all this heat...what a perfect day to talk about snow...there I said it...a 4 letter word that probably brings a chill up your spine, perhaps though with the forecast that's a good thing...I saw this from the NPS a few weeks ago...and while that amount of snow isn't there anymore...it's fascinating nonetheless...so much snow out there this past winter...they were still snow skiing @ the Lake Tahoe ski areas this past weekend! Take a look at some of these pictures...this again is from the NPS...

Deep and persistent snow levels at higher elevations on Mount Rainier will delay the opening of the road to Sunrise until at least July 8. Park road crews, using bulldozers and a rotary snow blower, are working daily to remove snow from the road and expect to reach the parking area at Sunrise early next week. Once access is available, additional park and Washington Conservation Corps crews will be brought into the area to shovel out buildings and activate the power and water systems.     Since July 1, 2010, a total of 907 inches of snow have fallen at Paradise. The record for the park is 1,122 of snowfall during the 1971-72 season.  Cool and wet temperatures have persisted into June, delaying snow melt in the upper elevations and slowing snow removal operations that began in March. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) road crews have faced similar deep snow conditions on Highway 410, delaying the opening of Chinook Pass on the east side of the park. WSDOT’s projected opening for Chinook Pass is June 23 at 10:00 AM. Persistent snow conditions will also delay the opening of the White River Campground until July 1. The road to the campground is open and accessible.  Mowich Road opening operations will be delayed until snow removal at Paradise and Sunrise are completed. All other park roads and areas are open. Travelers are advised to check the park’s website prior to a visit to get updated information on road and trail conditions, services and activities. Mount Rainier National Park’s website is at: www.nps.gov/mora. For photos of current snow conditions at Sunrise, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Please check the WSDOT website, www.wsdot.wa.gov,for current updates on all highway and pass conditions in Washington State.   NPS Photo A photo of the Sunrise Visitor Center covered in snow taken June 9, 2011, compared to a similar photo of the Visitor Center from July 2010.   NPS Photo A photo of the Sunrise Visitor Center from the southwest taken on June 9, 2011, demonstrating the snow conditions compared to a similar photo taken July 2009.   NPS Photo The Sunrise bathroom building is completely covered by snow except for a small corner of the roof, as is seen in the photo taken June 9, 2011 compared with the photo from August 2009.

Did You Know? At Mount Rainier, winter snowfall is typically heaviest between the elevations of 5,000 and 8,000 feet. Paradise, at 5,420 feet, receives an average of 680 inches of snowfall (nearly 57 feet) every year, making it one of the consistently snowiest places on Earth of those where snowfall is measured.

end NPS...

Lake Mead in NV/AZ is expected to rise some 40 FEET as a result of all the snowmelt...and just to prove how low it WAS...that's still only about 56% of it's capacity.

Joe