It should be a lot calmer, drier and milder here during the last week of 2016, with only a slight chance of some showers moving into the region by the weekend. Until then, mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies will be over the region. Overnight lows will still be quite cold, dropping to the teens Tuesday and climbing into the 20s the rest of the week, while high temperatures will climb slowly through the 40s before topping out near 50 on Friday. Temperatures will fall again New Year’s Eve with a chance of rain or snow through New Year’s Day.

Michael writes in with the following: “The term “Lake Effect Snow” has got to be the most contrived term in weather I’ve ever heard. Isn’t the geographical location of an area a big factor in determining its normal weather pattern? I just don’t see the reason in pointing out that the lake generated the snowfall. What did Reno have this weekend: ocean effect snow, lake effect, mountain effect, or atmospheric effect snow? I’m a Weather junkie so I am not mocking; I really want to know and understand.”

Michael is right in that some weather/meteorologic terms do get thrown around carelessly, but Lake Effect is a valuable process to understand. More tomorrow.