Where's winter?

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The calendar says December but the weather doesn't look delightful for winter fans.

After a mild winter last year many people are itching to see some snow.  The 2011-2012 winter season brought only 8 inches of snow to Dayton the normal is 23.3".

The mild temperatures have even the deer scratching their heads wondering when winter will begin.  The puddles of rain over the weekend made it feel and look more like fall than winter.   But farther north it was a different scene.   

Plows had to scrap the roads in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas after heavy snow hit over the weekend.  Some areas outside Minneapolis measured more than a foot of snow.  Click here to see snowfall totals. 

Shovels, scrapers and sleds were more popular than the umbrellas we used.  Kids loved the chance to get out and play in the snow while many ski resorts welcomed the cold temperatures and fresh powder.  
Local ski resorts haven't been so lucky this year. 

Mad River Mountain in Bellefountain saw an early snow around Halloween due to Superstorm Sandy.  
The ski resort usually opens the second weekend in December but with temperatures in the 50's the lifts stand still.  Winter is taking a little longer than usual to make an appearance around the Miami Valley.

In Dayton the average date of the first measurable snowfall is November 24th - this year we saw .7 inches of snow on October 30th.  But the average date of the first inch or more of snowfall is December 8th - which we haven't seen in Dayton yet.  

While winter has arrived farther north - colder air has spilled into the Miami Valley for now but temperatures will continue to fluctuate through the week.  

There are no strong climate signals that show we would see below average or above average snowfall here in the Miami Valley.  For now we just have to wait and see what mother nature decides to bring us.