Temps to be colder than Winter Olympics site

By Dale Liesch (Contact) | Dadeville Record

Published Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Could Tallapoosa County be the site of a future Winter Olympiad?

While seeing speed skating on a frozen Lake Martin is not likely any time soon, temperatures in our area this week will hover near, or even be below those in Vancouver, Canada, the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In addition to a cold snap consuming the area for the next week and a half, the area saw snow flurries Wednesday morning.

“We’ve seen more events of snow this year than we’re used to,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Gary Goggins.

Goggins attributes the recent snows to an ongoing El Niño pattern that is bringing waves of moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico. Those waves are colliding with a cool-air trough that has dominated weather in the eastern U.S.

“The moisture has been coming up over the top of the cool air at the surface causing the snow,” Goggins said. “El Niño has allowed wave after wave all winter. That’s why we’ve been so wet and so unsettled this winter.”

Goggins said there is still a chance for wintry precipitation at the start of next week, but chances should taper off somewhat after that.

“When we get into March the chance for winter precipitation drops,” Goggins said. “Temperatures usually average in the 60s and the angle of the sun changes, but we have had some March events in the past.”

Thursday’s local high temperature is 43 degrees with a low of 25. Our Canadian neighbors will see a high temperature of 47 degrees for Thursday. Friday’s high for our area of 51 degrees is slightly higher than that of the Canucks at 48 degrees. Saturday will see a high of 50 degrees for the Lake Martin area while Vancouver will hover around 49 degrees.

Local lows include temperatures of 25, 29 and 28 degrees for Thursday, Friday and Saturday respectively. While lows in Vancouver during the same time include: 42, 41, and 43 respectively.

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