Chinook wind?

[Reapward]

At 6:15 this morning it was 59 degrees. Except for summertime temps. I don't think I have ever seen the temp this high at this time in the morning, this time of year.
Some would say it is odd. It is not...anymore.

[biglakejudy]

As a kid, I can remember Mom running around the house throwing open windows in the middle of winter to air out the house when a Chinook came through. The icicles would start to melt on the eaves of the roof. I haven't experienced a Chinook in a long time. Not so weird really. Loved the northern lights. And their seemed to be lots of comets when I was a kid.

[mr_coffee]

Kind of weird not wearing pants in December...

[k.cool]

The temp in downtown Twisp hit 71.8F this afternoon! Unbelievable for December…

[Solstice]

A little context: The lowest temperature ever recorded in the State Of Washington was -48°F at Mazama and Winthrop on 30 December 1968.

What will the low temperature be this year on that date? Any guesses?

[bobcat]

I think for it to truly be a Chinook it must be driven by a wind from the east.

[Solstice]

Whatever you want to call it, it was a record breaker for Eastern Washington.

Cliff Mass has a solid explanation: Atmospheric river north of us, with our region caught up in the warm air to its south. With winds from the west, the air was forced to descend along the eastern slopes of the Cascades, warming significantly as it did. Relative humidity to plummeted, leaving a clear zone to the east of the Cascades and letting plenty of (weak) December sun in to warm the land surfaces.

The temperatures from normal yesterday (20-30F above normal) were comparable in the extreme to those experienced during the June heatwave we experienced last summer. All-time December high-temperature records were set in Wenatchee, Ephrata, and Omak. But as the Spokane NWS noted, WAY less destructive.