“Clouds mostly over the mountains. Visibility good.”
Honolulu weather report Dec. 7, 1941 at 7:40 a.m.

Clear weather conditions allowed fighter planes to hit their targets, leading to America’s involvement in World War II. Former director of history for the U.S. Naval Institute Paul Stillwell explained the role weather played in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

“Obviously the weather did not deter the Japanese. They crossed the North Pacific in rough seas, and had to refuel their ships on the way over.”      According to Stillwell, the biggest weather impact was indirectly beneficial for the U.S. because, “The USS Enterprise (CV-6) was coming back (to Hawaii)  from Wake Island and was scheduled to arrive the morning of the 7th, but was delayed because of rough seas. The vessel (capacity 2,217 persons) was behind schedule returning to Pearl Harbor, and because of this was not present for the attack. The Enterprise played a substantial role throughout the remainder of the war, and had it been in port that day, things may have been very different.”

From Hanukkah through Christmas, let us remember the gift our men and women serving in the military continue to give … freedom.

With this in mind, is there any better way to celebrate than a hometown parade? Especially our very own 37th annual 2013 Montrose Christmas Parade (note – not “holiday parade”). If you do absolutely nothing else in December, attending this event will capture and hold you as the “spirit of the season” takes over. No, I don’t belong to the Montrose Christmas Parade Association!

Remembering last year’s parade, a light rain fell over Honolulu Avenue that added a nice touch. Well, this year – move over, Santa, because you’ve got competition: Jack Frost will be arriving accompanied by a rainy forecast.   Straight from NOAA’s forecast:

“Snow levels will be at 4,000 feet early Saturday … (by evening) the snow level will plummet down to around 2,500 ft. The coldest temps will occur at this time. The possibilities of snow flurries occurring across some of the interior valleys (including CV) will not be out of the question. A quick hitter, it should be out of the area by Saturday night or early Sunday morning.”

Clear skies and lingering cold dominate the weather into next week. Highs around 50 and lows dipping into the 30s are predicted thus far.

In the upcoming days, say “thank-you” to a military person. Now bundle up and enjoy the parade.

Do umbrellas work for snow?

Sue Kilpatrick is a  Crescenta Valley resident and  Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick