“Time is a brisk wind, for each hour it brings something new … but who can understand and measure its sharp breath, its mystery and its design?” 

~ Paracelsus

The seasons come and go with increasing speed. With each passing year time seems to gain momentum. Could this really happen? Where lies the truth? I’m not sure if Albert Einstein had the answer. I know this much to be true: summer seems just like yesterday and now it’s December!

The last candle of Hanukkah is being lit on Monday night. Christmas trees decorated with strands of lights are appearing with elves’ pace. Thanksgiving leftovers are, at last, consumed. The shorter days of winter are coming, hopefully bringing rain and snow (at the very least a few flakes).

The weather is certainly of no help when keeping track of the months or seasons. A few weeks back an impressive winter storm moved south out of Alaska. The temperatures dropped – as did almost two inches of rain. Yes! Here we go, off to a good start; certainly more will follow. Yeah, right…

Warm Santa Ana winds blasted the Crescenta Valley accompanied by unseasonably above average temperatures. At one point the relative humidity dropped to an extremely low 2%. Local vegetation has become exceedingly dry. Elevated to briefly critical fire weather conditions are in place at least through next week. And this is December?!

Dec. 1 (yesterday) it was 85 degrees and the first day of winter. The more familiar start date, without a doubt, is Dec. 21. What’s the real one, you may ask? Well, they are equally accurate. The one on Dec. 1 is referred to as the meteorological winter and the other on the 21^st. is the astronomical winter.

Based on temperature and weather patterns, meteorological winter is December, January, and February. The astronomical calendar defines winter as the day when the sun passes directly above 23.5° – the Tropic of Capricorn. It’s the day in the northern hemisphere when daylight is the briefest.

Of course, nature has its own plans as to how the weather will fit the days. Depending on location or just seasonal fluctuations the temperatures are all over the place! In one part of the country, sleds and mittens wait at the door while in another area it’s an ice chest and beach towel.

Change is coming as a dense marine layer moves in. By Monday expect a bit of a warm-up and gusty winds. Clouds will hang around most of the week.

Looking ahead … no white Christmas.