December Or March?

As the calendar turns to December today, it sure seems like Mother Nature has not gotten the memo yet.

This has been a year of some of the craziest weather ever recorded in New Jersey, with a hurricane, earthquake, and a havoc-wreaking October snow storm.  It is all capped with a report today that 2011 is officially the wettest year in the state's history.

Yet, while the year weather-wise has been defined by the extremes of heat or rain or snow, Mother Nature seems to be giving a reprieve to New Jerseyans as the winter approaches.

I've spoken to more than a few state residents who have expressed major concern about a rough winter.  Last year's snow season was one of the roughest in years, and combined with this year's volatility, rampant snow storms just feel like they are given.

However, December 1st is here and it is 50 degrees outside around most of the state.

This does not mean that snow is out of the question for the near future, but this is some amazing weather for this time of year...almost golf weather.  Today got a bit cooler, but Alan Kasper reports in his forecast that Sunday and Monday could touch close to 60 degrees.

While I have learned a ton about weather in the last few months working beside the the great Meteorologist Alan Kasper, I am absolutely no weatherman. 

That being said, I have lived in New Jersey my entire life and this is among the warmest sustained weather that I can remember this time of year in the state.

I look forward to being part of the great coverage that this station provides during snow storms, but like everybody else, we can all agree that it is a great thing leaving salt, shovels and snow blowers in the garage for the time being.

Besides just the obvious benefits of nice weather in December, a very important aspect is the ease on budgets around the state.  State and municipality budgets are working with paper thin margins to begin with, and those have been stretched even more with the aforementioned storms.

There's still a ways to go in the season, but so far it's a nice respite that Mother Nature has given.

Please don't blame if we now get hit with a storm in the next two weeks.