By Herb Stevens

SnoCountry-The pattern continues to favor colder than normal air in the eastern half of the country, which has resulted in the season getting off to a quick start from the Great Lakes to the Appalachians. An upper level trough has been rather persistent east of the Mississippi, with a ridge in control for the most part in the West, where natural snow has been a little spotty at best. It does look as though the pattern will undergo a change in mid month that will be conducive to some meaningful snow in the West, while the East will see a relaxation in a run of cold weather that is just now kicking into gear. The big question for forecasters will then become whether the change to a trough in the West will be temporary or more long lasting.