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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Downtown Kelseyville was filled with Christmas cheer and lights on Friday evening for the annual “Christmas in the Country” celebration.

The event, organized by the Kelseyville Business Association, had the feel of pre-pandemic days, with more families filling up the town’s business district, where there were activities at shops beginning in the early afternoon.

Starting with a merchants open house in the early evening, visitors were able to find a variety of foods, visit businesses and catch up with friends.

The theme was “Christmas in Toyland,” and that was especially visible in the Parade of Lights, which lasted about 40 minutes as it wound its way through town.

The floats included Santa Claus, several Grinches, community groups and businesses, singers and cartoon characters. Interspersed were classic cars and trucks, horses, a Kelseyville Unified School District bus outfitted with a train horn, marching bands and dancing Christmas trees.

Bringing up the rear of the parade once again was the bubble machine, followed by excited children.

After the parade, children were able to visit with Santa Claus at the recently opened Lady Luck Garage.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Clear Lake High School’s football team will be honored on Saturday as it prepares to head out of town for the state playoffs.

The Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lakeport Fire Protection District will provide a code three escort — meaning they will use lights and sirens — to lead the team through the downtown at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.

The route will begin on Main Street traveling south (coming from the high school).

Community members are invited to line Main Street in downtown and show the team support as it heads to the playoffs.

Clear Lake High School’s Cardinals varsity football team is traveling to Orland for the playoff game in the 2022 CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games Division 5-A.

The game between the Clear Lake Cardinals and the Orland Trojans will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The winner will advance to the state championships Dec. 10.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas as colorful lights adorn homes, and decorations and seasonal favorites are on display in stores around the country, but many may be wondering whether Mother Nature will also create a wintry scene in time for the holiday.

AccuWeather forecasters released their annual white Christmas forecast on Friday, noting that while chances aren't overwhelmingly high for large parts of the nation, a few pockets across the country may luck out just in time for the holiday.

AccuWeather's team of long-range forecasters, led by Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, has been closely examining key weather patterns that could favor snow in time for the holidays across the United States.

One of the most influential weather patterns includes La Niña, which will be in play for the third winter in a row, according to Pastelok.

This pattern, which originates with cooler-than-normal waters in the central and eastern Pacific around the equator, often drives an active storm track across the northern tier of the U.S. and leaves southern sections of the country drier than normal.

Despite it being the third year in a row with La Niña, Pastelok says that his holiday season will not shape up exactly like the past two years.

The pattern could hinder chances for a "white Christmas," which is defined by having at least an inch of snow on the ground on Dec. 25.

Read on to find out what you may wake up to see this year!

Only a lucky few to see snow on Christmas in the Northeast

In the Northeast, winter got a head start after a historic lake-effect snow event dumped more than 6 feet of snow across portions of western and northern New York in mid-November.

A vigorous band of lake-effect snow unloaded more than 80 inches across a narrow area just south of Buffalo. In Hamburg, New York, located 14 miles south of downtown Buffalo, a colossal 81.2 inches of accumulation was recorded. Orchard Park, located 11 miles southeast of Buffalo, measured 80 inches of snow.

It will take an extended amount of time for the mountains of snow left behind by that storm to melt. The mild temperatures and weather conditions expected during the second half of December across the Northeast will likely not escalate the process.

Even though favorable conditions will develop to allow snow and intense cold weather to spread across the Northeast during the first half of December, the later part of the month will feature moderating temperatures and lower chances for a snowstorm. According to Pastelok, as the holiday nears, the forecast weather pattern will support more rain and perhaps ice compared to snow.

New England, which is forecast to be the only area east of the Rocky Mountains where snowfall could end up being above average for the winter, will get off to a slow start. The chances for a white Christmas will remain lower than normal for most of New England. Once the calendar flips to 2023, snowfall totals will likely be boosted by a few nor'easters, according to AccuWeather's winter forecast.

Although the chances remain relatively lower than average from coastal Maine to Virginia, snow lovers in the Northeast can find joy in that it won't be a total bust in terms of snow chances across the region this year. Near-normal chances are still expected across far northern New England and upstate, central and western New York. Cities such as Burlington, Vermont, Albany and Syracuse, New York, and Cleveland, could be in luck this holiday season.

While the spine of the Appalachian Mountains looks to have an above-normal chance of having snow on the ground in time for Christmas, Pastelok warns that some brief periods of warmer weather before the holiday could reduce the amount of snow across the central Appalachians.

Northern Plains and Upper Midwest a ‘big area to watch’

Across the central Plains and Tennessee Valley, chances for a white Christmas are typically less than 25%, based on historical data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These areas might see snow leading up to this holiday season, but Patselok says the million-dollar question is 'how long will it stick around?'

"The cold will [stick around] until about the 15th, 20th of the month," Patselok said. "So there is an opportunity that parts of the Tennessee Valley could have a higher chance of seeing a white Christmas [compared to normal]."

Chicago, a city known for its extreme cold and winter weather, has a near-normal chance this year. The Windy City measured its first snow on Oct. 17, which is nearly a month earlier than average and more than two months earlier compared to last year. On average, Chicago records its first snowfall around Nov. 18, but last year, the first snowfall didn't occur until Dec. 28, which is the city's latest first snowfall ever.

“The big area to watch is the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest,” Pastelok said, noting that as Christmas week approaches, the weather may go through another transition that will allow the storm track to set up across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, right around Christmas Day.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota typically have more than a 75% chance of a white Christmas, according to historical data compiled by the National Weather Service (NWS). And, according to Pastelok, snow chances on Christmas will likely be higher than normal.

Nebraska, which typically doesn't measure a lot of snow around Christmastime, is another state across the Plains that Patselok is keeping an eye on this year.

"That area does have a chance this year with a late-month storm system coming in," Pastelok said.

Any snow that falls during December across the northern Plains will likely stick for the holidays as cold weather is expected. For instance, Billings, Montana, is expected to have a higher-than-average chance of a white Christmas this year.

Across Iowa and southern Nebraska, the cold weather and precipitation likely won't link up at the same time, according to Pastelok. This means residents will have to keep wishing for a white Christmas as both locations are expected to have a lower-than-normal chance this year.

Replenishing snow to fall across the Northwest and Rockies just in time for the holidays

Across the Northwest and Rockies, a replenishing period of snow is expected during the middle of the month. Snow will stick around the typical spots in the higher elevations, with over a 90% chance of a white Christmas expected. But, in cities such as Salt Lake City and Denver, the chances are near to slightly above normal.

A cold weather pattern is expected in December and January across western Canada and the Northwest, which will send temperatures plummeting, especially across lower-elevation areas. This will allow a little more snow to fall in major Northwest cities, such as Seattle and Portland, Oregon. If the cold lingers, there is a chance this year that some snow may still be on the ground close to Christmas in the lower elevations as well.

Seattle measured its first snow more than a month early when snow 0.9 of an inch fell on Nov. 29. Typically the city doesn't measure its first snow until Dec. 31. The rounds of cold weather could potentially paint the Emerald City white just in time for the holiday.

The Seattle area is one part of the country that forecasters are monitoring for a higher percentage of this year, Pastelok said.

While Seattle and Portland will have a near-normal to higher-than-normal chance for a white Christmas, the ocean water will produce milder conditions that will support rain instead of snow along the immediate West Coast.

As of Nov. 30, just over 25% of the U.S. was covered by snow, with an average depth of 1.3 inches, according to data from NOAA.

Most of the snowfall was located in the Rockies and the interior Northwest, but the snow also stretched out to the Upper Midwest and even some isolated parts of the Northeast, reflective of what the states might have come Christmas.

Allison Finch is an AccuWeather staff writer.

What's up for December? Your evening planet highlights, including the disappearance of Mars, and the constellation Pegasus.

The month begins and ends with the Moon visiting the giant planets. From Dec. 25 to Dec. 31, look to the southwest following sunset to see an increasingly full Moon slip past Saturn and then again past Jupiter.

Viewers with a clear view to the horizon will be able to search for Venus and Mercury in the fading glow of sunset, just a few degrees above the skyline.

Dec. 7 brings one of those magical moments when the sky changes dramatically before your very eyes. It's called a lunar occultation, as the Moon passes in front of, or occults, the Red Planet, Mars.

The spectacle will be visible in parts of North America, Europe, and Northern Africa. (Viewers in the Southeast and on the East Coast will see the Moon just graze past Mars.)

For viewers in the U.S., Mars disappears behind the Moon sometime between about 6:30 and 9 p.m., depending on your location, so check your favorite skywatching app to find the time for your area.

Now, the Moon passes in front of planets in the night sky several times per year. In fact, it generally occults Mars itself at least a couple of times per year. But each occultation is visible from only a small portion of Earth's surface, so it's not super common for any particular spot on Earth to see them frequently.

Of course, the Moon passes in front of stars all the time. If you're watching through binoculars, they just blink right out. But planets are not just points of light like stars — they appear as circular little disks, so planets actually take several seconds to disappear and later reemerge.

So if you're in the viewing zone, enjoy this relatively rare opportunity to watch a bright planet being occulted by the Moon.

Looking high in the southwest sky on December evenings, you can find a constellation named for one of the more fantastical beasts of ancient mythology. That's Pegasus, the winged horse. In Greek myth, Pegasus rode into adventures with the hero Belaraphon, and later carried the thunderbolts of Zeus himself, who rewarded him by placing him among the stars.

Pegasus is one of the largest of the 88 constellations. Its most prominent feature, and the key to finding it in the sky, is this asterism, or pattern of stars, called the Great Square. These four stars of roughly equal brightness form the central part of the horse's body.

This December, it's easy to locate Pegasus, thanks to brilliant Jupiter. Face southward to find the giant planet about halfway up the sky, with the Great Square beginning about 15 degrees to the north of it.

Pegasus is a useful constellation for stargazers, as it's a good starting place for finding your way to other features in the night sky. The constellation itself contains a number of dazzling deep-sky objects, including globular cluster M15, and the tangled galaxies of Stephan's Quintet. With this year drawing to a close, here's hoping you seek out the winged stallion Pegasus, as you ponder what new adventures await in the next year.

Stay up to date with all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at nasa.gov.

Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Rotary Club of Clearlake Community Christmas Dinner is returning this year.

The group will host the annual dinner and Christmas celebration on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burns Valley School, 3620 Pine St.

This is the 30th year Rotary has hosted the event.

The club reported that this is its most satisfying and enjoyable community event, and has always been heartwarming and fun, with Santa on hand and a delicious meal served. Rotarians said they are excited to return to in-person dining this year.

Rotary offered its thanks to Foods, Etc. for its contributions in support of this event. They will also have a special treat this year, 600 portions, donated by La Chilanguita Mexican Restaurant in Clearlake.

Locally the Meals on Wheels program delivers meals to about 200 registered recipients. All food and packaging supplies for recipients will be provided to the Meals on Wheels program as part of this celebration event. This extra warm meal of ham and all the fixings, along with pumpkin pie, is a special holiday treat.

Santa Claus and his elves will visit with about 600 children, taking the time to ask each child what their special Christmas wish is. Children also will receive a souvenir photo with Santa and a toy to take home with them.

The Warm for The Winter event featuring All Things Warm will also be back this year and run simultaneously with the celebration event.

Worldwide Healing Hands volunteers will be on hand with giveaways and will provide free health screenings.

The Lake County Public Health Department also will be on hand to provide flu shots while supplies last.

Lake County Behavioral Health will have prevention teams (mental health and substance abuse services) on site to provide resources and freebies.

“The Rotary Club of Clearlake loves and appreciates the community we serve. We are extremely excited and happy we are able to bring this event to you, our community, in-person again,” the group said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday evening directed staff to continue to review and approve rebuilding projects within the Sulphur fire area that don’t adhere to current zoning requirements as long as they meet certain conditions.

City Manager Alan Flora asked the council for the discussion and direction to allow the Community Development director to review and approve “legal nonconforming status” projects and permits in the fire area if they don’t impact the community’s health and welfare.

The October 2017 Sulphur fire burned 2,207 acres in Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks, destroying 162 structures.

The fire was determined to have resulted from a broken power pole belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric in the area of Pomo and Sulphur Bank roads in Clearlake Oaks.

Flora said rebuilding has been slow for many reasons, including underinsured property owners, the high cost of construction and delays in settlement fund payments by PG&E to fire victims.

Initially, he said the city offered a 15-month window after the fire for property owners to have newer zoning requirements waived if what they were rebuilding was consistent with the structures that had been there before.

During that 15-month window, only about 15 to 20 homes were rebuilt. Flora said he did not have more recent numbers on the rebuild, but said there have been quite a few more done over the last few years.

Flora said many of the properties in the fire area don’t meet current zoning requirements, with very small lots that make it hard to build to modern standards.

He said the city’s policy has mostly been to allow the homes lost to the fire to be rebuilt close to how they originally were constructed.

His written report to the council explained, “The area was developed before modern zoning and the properties are considered legal nonconforming. The zoning ordinance allows a legal nonconforming use to be replaced within six months of a disasters such as the Sulphur Fire, but if a permit is granted after six months, it must meet current regulations. In response to this the City allowed up to nine months, and granted a one-time six month extension to legal nonconforming status, for a total of 15 months.”

His report also explained that some insurance companies have been slow to pay, with some property owners recently receiving significant funds from the PG&E settlement.

As a result, the city is getting additional interest from property owners about rebuilding consistent with what initially was on the property, Flora reported.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton said she had spoken to someone earlier in the day who wanted to rebuild but was having trouble finding a contractor, which has been another issue.

Mayor Dirk Slooten said he’d spoken to some fire survivors who hadn’t yet received any funds from PG&E. He said he favored extending the consideration on a case-by-case basis.

During the discussion, Flora explained that some property owners have tried to live in RVs on properties for an extended period of time. If a property owner has an active building permit, they can get a temporary permit to live in an RV while constructing a house, but there is a time limit on it. City rules would not allow people to live in RVs on properties on a long-term basis.

Regarding the nonconforming uses, Flora said, “I would like to continue to see it interpreted pretty narrowly,” and on a case-by-case basis.

In response to questions from Lake County News during the meeting, Flora said he did not have detailed information on how many property owners were eligible for the PG&E funds.

He also did not have a number for how many rebuild projects are in the pipeline or how many of the properties are considered nonconforming.

Flora said there will be a lot of properties where the homes won’t be rebuilt, noting that 25 foot by 100 foot residential lots “never made sense.”

The legal nonconforming allowance going forward will probably benefit about a dozen people, he said. “I don’t expect it to be 50 or 100 people to be honest with you.”

He suggested the city could review the policy again after a year.

The council agreed to continue to allow staff to review and approve such rebuild projects on a case-by-case basis for another 12 months, and gave that direction to Flora.

In other action on Thursday, the council heard a presentation from the Public Works Department and its new director, Adeline Brown; honored city volunteers; held a public hearing to confirm assessments totaling $29,383.90 for city funded abatements for properties at 14095 Villa Way, 14101 Villa Way and 14775 Highlands Way; and approved a resolution to extend the term of the existing commercial cannabis development agreements for seven years while temporarily reducing the production fee.

A proclamation to honor the late Judge Richard Freeborn was rescheduled for January, and a discussion of a potential annexation of 302 acres at 2050 and 2122 Ogulin Canyon Road was put on hold while the property owners, who proposed the action, conduct more work on the proposal.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.