Spring? Try Again!

399 Comments

11:55PM

COMMENTARY…
Vernal Equinox, 6:45PM Friday. Some magic moment when suddenly all turns warm and tranquil? Myth! This is New England. Ever hear of that body of water with 40 degree water nearby? Yeah. It’s called the Atlantic Ocean. Oh and there is this giant reservoir of cold air in a neighboring country called “Canada”. Maybe some of you have heard of it? They like hockey up there, a lot. If you have a frequent trough that extends from that area into the northeastern US, and we do right now, then you get frequent cold air. And despite the ever increasing sun angle and length of daylight, the fact remains we are still in a colder than average pattern. And that pattern is not done yet, nor will it be for a while.

SUMMARY…
Cold high pressure retreats to the northeast while low pressure passes south of the region through Friday night. Some snow will work into southern New England but this will be a generally light event. That exits early Saturday and an Arctic cold front approaches from the west, with a brief milder shot of air ahead of it, a few rain to snow showers Saturday evening, then much colder air comes back for Sunday and Monday. But wait! It’s not all about the cold. Moderation is due as we head toward the middle of next week before the next front arrives later Thursday.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
OVERNIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows 10-15 rural areas, 15-20 elsewhere. Wind light variable.
FRIDAY: Cloudy. Periods of light snow south of Boston mid to late afternoon with minor accumulation. Highs 30-35. Wind light SE.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Periods of light snow mostly Boston south with additional minor accumulation. Lows in the 20s. Wind light variable.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light rain and snow early. Chance of rain showers late in the day. Highs in the 40s. Wind S to SW 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Sunny. Low 20. High 35.
MONDAY: Sunny. Low 15. High 35.
TUESDAY: Sunny. Low 15. High 40.
WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 25. High 45.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. PM rain showers. Low 40. High 55.

399 thoughts on “Spring? Try Again!”

  2. I placed two boards into the snow piles around my house. One on the north and south side. I marked each board at the current snow level with the date. It will be interesting to see the elevation changes the next two weeks. I wish I did this weeks ago after our last significant snow storm.

      1. Not necessarily where the snow ends, but more where
        they decided to end the map. 😆 😆

        But then, you know that. 😀

    1. 1st week of April not very Spring-Like.

      I think we get a snowstorm this April. Can’t pin down a date yet,
      but it looks to get active into that Cold. We shall see.

      3. Oddly, OS, I have that same feeling. Unlike yours, mine is not based on anything but the fact that you can never underestimate Mother Nature and that may hold true more than ever this year.

  7. Radar from State College, PA to give an idea of the real Northern Extent of
    the snow. Elimra in NY is a little bit South of Boston’s Latitude.

    http://www.wunderground.com/weather-radar/united-states/pa/state-college/ccx/?region=bml

    MosAIC RADAR.

    http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/northeast_loop.php

    Water vapor look not so impressive at all. 😀

    http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/satellite/displaySat.php?region=US&itype=wv&size=small&endDate=20150320&endTime=-1&duration=12

      1. That’s a typical broad Pacific storm. They often look that way coming into the Northwest or western Canadian coastal areas. But they don’t cross the mountains that way, just translate moisture and energy across and come out as a different looking system on the other side.

    1. Will win out eventually, but how much damage is done before that
      happens. Right now looks to happen somewhere between 4/10 and 4/20.

  10. Question: I was looking at the weather channel to see precisely what time the snow will start this evening (I know, I know…). On the hourly forecast, I noticed they have 3 wiggly lines, with a percentage, like for example, later today it is 49%–what would that be? Thanks!

    2. I have wondered this too. I think she is referring to a new icon they have on there forecast. It is to the right of the precip type icon on each hour/day just above the wind info. My thought is that it represents the humidity.

  12. Hmmm

    Is this Tim Kelley’s way to say we might have a Norlun type feature late tonight/tomorrow?? I’ve been watching this. Something’s up, however,
    so far it appears to be weak. We’ll continue to monitor.

    Tim Kelley NECN ‏@SurfSkiWxMan 16m16 minutes ago South Dennis, MA
    plenty wx guidance continue trying to bridge, or merge, approaching arctic front w departing cyclogenesis, generating snow/rain E MA tmrrw

    1. C’Mon Tim, It’s really an inverted trough linking the storm off shore
      with the Clipper (yes with trailing Arctic front) to the North.
      Would not technically be classified a Norlun because it does not remain
      stationary long enough, but same thing just that it will be moving along.

  13. From Jim Cantore, a couple of images from Cape Breton Island. Not sure if
    these are doctored or not. They look like they could be.

    Jim Cantore ‏@JimCantore 3m3 minutes ago
    SICK !! RT @rozinck: @CanguioWillie @twweker @NJSnowFan @JimCantore 1 more for you. CapeBreton NS

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAigOvqU8AAuuF-.jpg

    Jim Cantore ‏@JimCantore 1m1 minute ago
    Good Lord that’s a lighthouse MT @BrettLocke: Peggy’s Cove / 19Mar15 #Halifax NS @haligoniaphotos @VisitNovaScotia

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAeZ-CsU8AA5_Fq.jpg

    1. Jim Cantore ‏@JimCantore 6m6 minutes ago
      Apparently a fake. Ugh! MT @rozinck: @CanguioWillie @twweker @NJSnowFan @JimCantore 1 more for you. CapeBreton NS

  14. Just an observation. Probably doesn’t mean a thing, but
    I have to say this overcast is Lowering and thickening Rapidly.
    Much faster than I thought it would. It looks like it means business.

    Another observation.

    There “appears” to be an initial push of moisture, not particularly heavy, that
    comes North, but then the main system is shunted South and East, ending
    the snow here. Later as the Southern storm moves off and Clipper moves in to our North, snow breaks out again which seems to be connected to the inverted trough/link/merger whatever you want to call it discussed above.

  15. I agree on the comments on a snowstorm happening in April. Not that I want it or anything as Spring is upon us, but it seems like it would happen before the pattern starts turning.

      1. You did. This system hitting boston tonight if you call it that will be in and out. Curious to see if Boston records much as I think coating at best is in order.

        1. John,

          Please look at those radars. Boston “may” see a bit more
          than expected. Re: Later
          The EURO, the RGEM, the CMC and the GFS ALL
          point to snow redeveloping later in response to that
          feature I indicated above.

          Are they wrong about that? Could be? Who knows.

          My guess is they are not wrong and we will see
          precipitation tomorrow. After the morning, it could
          very well be in the form of rain, but precipitate it will.

          1. I respectfullydo not agree with boston. 1 inch is your max amount if they even get that. Onslaught of snow will be confined to grass if you will

              1. I did sue were you able to as well . First flakes in boston should hold off till after commute time. I think the highest totals for snow will be confined to the islands. And by high I’m thinking 2-3 inches. In all reality this is essentially a miss for Boston. Light snow yes.

                1. I wasn’t asked to look at the radar, but I did look. OS has been an amazing source for learning on this blog and I am very grateful for his links and info.

  19. Excellent commentary TK – an enjoyable read about the larger forces at play vs. a date on the calendar. I like this pattern if it keeps March rains to a minimum. Any snow would be a bonus.

    1. Interesting that while the Arctic Sea Ice is down, the Antarctic Sea Ice is at near
      all-time highs. Mother Earth doing the balancing act. 😀

  21. Good morning!! Little chilly but not to bad, really just a half day today, finish up around noon. Next week looks warmer but with more rain around midweek but 50’s. We r 7% done with lime visits lol, we are right on schedule, and working weekends starting the last weekend in March. 1st full week already, it’s all go time now 🙂 enjoy the day everyone and happy spring 🙂

  23. Eric Fisher ‏@ericfisher 9m9 minutes ago
    HRRR as the equinox takes place tonight. #NYC area in full flake mode. #springsnow

    This display is for 6PM this evening. Notice how far North the echoes go. Not all
    of that reaches the ground. Also notice the intensity of echoes around NYC.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAi-pU4UMAE7urc.png

  24. It is day 7 .. I know … but if things time out just right then someone makes a run at 60 next Thursday only to dip back to the cold with possible snow shortly after that. Spring in New England. 🙂

    4. Snow is over Tk for here, maybe up by you your chances are greater, but winter is over here, stick a fork in it, bet on it will be a cold rain 🙂

  26. Hey JJ, you snowing down there. Radar looks like it’s coming down pretty good
    in your area. Thanks

  27. Nice inverted trough signature on the 12z NAM for eastern MA tomorrow around late morning/midday tomorrow, as OS was talking about earlier. Could be good for a quick inch or two of wet snow tomorrow in eastern areas if it happens. 6z RGEM had it as well.

    For CT, we get our accumulation later this afternoon and tonight. I am not expecting more than an inch or two here in the northern part of the State but looks like a moderate accumulation near the shoreline. Schools are letting out early down there (ridiculous).

      1. If a period of moderate precip materialized in the morning, it would draw down the colder air from aloft and cap temps in the 30’s, at least while it was precipitating. By later in the day, yes, temps would still top 40 after the precip ends.

        1. You could be right mark I just don’t think that happens. Let’s see what future runs show.

          1. I’m not convinced either John but just reporting what some of the models are indicating. This would be more of a wet nuisance snow even if it happened, given it would have trouble accumulating on paved surfaces.

  29. Most of the northern extent of snow on the radar is not reaching the ground. NYC and Westchester are not even reporting snow yet.

    You are going to see the snow have a hard time making it very far north and east before it gets shunted southeast into the Atlantic. Eastern MA may actually have a better chance of seeing accumulating wet snow tomorrow from the inverted trough if that materializes.

    1. Just checked obs. You are correct. Loads of dry air to overcome.

      See post below re: tomorrow
      Nam wants to give Boston 2 1/2 to 3 inches. That is a change.
      I’m not surprised. John might be. 😀

      Let’s see if the rest of the 12Z Guidance jumps aboard.

      I wonder if the lower levels get saturated at the same time and
      snow breaks out all over all at once???? Will continue to monitor.

      1. Nope. Please tell me how it’s going to snow tomorrow with tempatures in the upper 40s. Let me know tomorrow how it all works out. One of us will be wrong . Enjoy the day my friend.

        1. John, most of the snow comes in the morning.
          Temperatures will be around freezing or a little above. Won’t go into the 40s until afternoon sometime.

          1. Im sorry regarding tomorrow maybe a passing snow or rain shower but not the numbers that the Nam was showing no way.

  30. During the week here in E.Greenwich,Coventry,Warwick and Newport RI I’ve seen 3 or 4 different landscapers doing spring cleanups, I’ve even had to hold off today bc one was being performed grrr, that means I wait or hold off. We will be in the seekonk, Attleboro, Norton starting Monday limes, then start Fertilizations March 30th 🙂
    Enjoy the day!!

    3. Not north, this is in the southern half of Rhode Island, there’s no snow here, north Attleboro is about 30% snow covered. Doing this area next week, it will be 90%+ bare by Monday. 🙂

  40. 12z GFS is back showing a significant coastal storm about one week from today:

    http://mag.ncep.noaa.gov/Image.php?fhr=183&image=data%2Fgfs%2F12%2Fgfs_namer_183_850_temp_mslp_precip.gif&model=gfs&area=namer&param=850_temp_mslp_precip&group=Model+Guidance&preselected_formatted_cycle_date=20150320+12+UTC&imageSize=M&ps=model

    Another potent clipper system with coastal redevelopment follows it on 3/31.

    Verbatim on this run these are both rain events for SNE, but that is our period to watch…around 3/28-4/1.

  41. If that low could track a little further south for a week out then things could get interesting. Being a week away plenty of time for that to change and it will probably change.

    1. The setup is differently there for something of significance. The end of that cold front is going to get hung up after it passes, allowing low pressure to form along it and ride up the coast. That setup has some similarities to the anafront storm that occurred earlier in the month and dumped heavy snow from Kentucky to Cape Cod. There is potential for a good snow event NW of the track where cold air is established.

  42. Looking at the 0z Euro and 12z GFS, highs may struggle to get out of the upper 40’s, let alone hit 60, next week on Wed/Thurs during our brief warmup in advance of the next cold front. The timing is not right as the mildest air looks to come in at night. Though plenty of time for that to change.

  47. I think we should post peoples faces as it would be nice to see who I’m talking to.

          1. I’m not interested in it Sue and probably never will be on as a user. My wife has been on for about a year. No interest.

  49. Thanks, TK.

    Happy Spring. Everyone is saying that, yet spring doesn’t officially start ’til 6:45 p.m. this evening?

  51. I am seeing reports all over the place of the snow really thumping in parts
    of Connecticut.

  52. HEAVY SNOW in NYC

    Bernie Rayno ‏@AccuRayno 5s5 seconds ago
    Well the snow didn’t waste anytime in New York City..1/4S+…temp down to 33 in central park…

  53. Old Salty its not thumping snow where I am . Its lighlty snowing.
    Southern Fairfield County here in CT down to the NYC area look to be the winners of this snow event.

  54. John, we’ve had a number of blog get-togethers in the past, you should attend one so you can see what some of us look like.

  55. Steady light snow right now outside my window.
    Hoping to do better today with my predictions for the NCAA Tournament. I was 8-8 yesterday. My worst start ever when filling out a bracket.

  58. Mark that is how it started here about 90 minutes ago with tiny flakes. Now some bigger flakes coming down. Roads just wet here but the grassy areas getting a little bit of coating.

    1. That confirms very little if any of that snow on radar north of your areas in CT is even hitting the ground

  59. AceMaster its coming down at a good clip now the snow where I am in CT. What Mark described is exactly how it started in my town. The snow has coated the grass as of now. Hopefully keep the roadways just wet.

  60. Snow now picking up in intensity here as well. Ace, my office here is about 8 miles east of Hartford in northern CT. But about a third of the precipitation shield you see on the radar went by before it even started hitting the ground.

  62. 12z Euro is not on board with the post frontal storm about a week from now, as shown on the GFS (at least for now). A storm does form along the trailing front, but out over the ocean.

  63. As I always say if there is low pressure on the east coast it must be watched.
    I have a feeling there will be one last jab winter has to give us and this is not it.

  64. Moderate snow in Manchester, CT. Exposed grass areas are covered, about a 1/2″ accumulation so far. Paved surfaces still just wet.

    1. Thanks Mark, will be interesting to see how far north/east the snow makes it this evening. Looks like best chance is SE Mass and RI for accumulating snow, hopefully some of us along the Mass Pike will get to play too.

  65. If I am correctly reading radar, looks as if snow hitting ground from about bottom half of CT (dipping up a bit around Hartford) south. If that makes sense. Not hitting ground here and not from Coventry east. Not much of anything from Boston out to Cambridge and down along coast.

    Just seeing if I understand radar.

      1. I’m just trying to figure out why I see all blue on radar but no snow. Am assuming it is because it is not hitting ground. But trying to figure how I can tell where it is hitting ground. Through CT I see a deeper blue so thought that might be where.

  67. Vicki, as of now, every reporting station in CT is reporting either light or moderate snow with temps in most areas in the upper 20’s. Springfield, Westfield and Pittsfield, MA are also reporting snow so it has reached the Pike at least in western areas.

  68. 18Z NAM snow amounts for Boston Area down a tad from 12Z.
    Calling now for generally 1-2 inches is all. Keeps light snow going ALL night long
    from Mass Pike South. Expands Northward towards morning. Later tomorrow, boundary layer warms and most likely it flips to rain.

      1. He has a gigantic hair dryer aimed in the sky right above his house, sucking all the power in Attleboro. It’s doing a nice job keeping the snow away.

  70. Surface dew points are very dry in eastern MA. It’s snowing above, but not reaching the ground. The dew points are higher in areas that snow is reaching the ground further west and south as it has been precipitating longer and had a chance to saturate the atmosphere more. There has also been better lift in these areas to produce precipitation to get the job done more quickly.

    This is why 1 to 2 inches will fall on unpaved surfaces and a little less on paved surfaces tonight and tomorrow morning, south of the Mass Pike, with less than 1 inch to the north. Minor event, but it does not mean that some roads won’t get slippery tonight, basically because it’s dark outside. Pretty simple stuff. Last slug of precipitation in the morning then a break between the departing low and the approaching cold front which will set off rain or snow showers later. It should reach or exceed 40 in most areas tomorrow afternoon before this front arrives.

  71. Staring out the window, I caught a couple of very small snow flakes.
    It’s not really snowing, but I did see them. So it’s just about ready to snow here. 😀

        1. It’s because the radar beam is elevated when it reaches
          your area. It shows the snow above you, but it dries
          up before reaching the ground. Be patient, it will come. 😀

        2. Ah ha. I’m not alone. That’s what I was trying to figure out in my earlier posts. Thanks Mel 🙂

  74. If you look at the “Charlie Hole” it’s centered on Taunton’s radar. The beam is simply too low for several miles to detect snow when it’s still mostly aloft.

    Noticing just a few flakes falling out here now in Woburn.

    1. Yes, we figured that out some time ago, but we still like to have
      fun with it. C’mon TK go along with it. 😀

        1. Yes down here it will. Just not expecting much in boston trace to 1 inch is what wankum is calling for there. I tend to agree with him but you never know.

          1. If you meant the first up to an inch for me I think a little bit more down here. But of course that’s just a guess. Enjoy the weekend Tk.

  80. Son in laws business just won a bid for cuts for a cause to shave one of the bruins heads. They gave honor to a kid on wellesley high team. Great great cause

  81. Left the office and it was spitting snow. By the time I got home there was a nice
    light snow falling. Steady light accumulating snow falling now. Car tops and roofs
    all white.

  82. Just started to snow in Chelmsford – it smells like snow outside, too. Very tiny, fairy kiss flakes.

    1. I love that. Fairie kiss flakes. That is just what they look like. And I was just out and loved the smell. It is bone cold. I have been wearing just a light top and for the first time this winter was cold

        1. You are talking to someone who has not worn a jacket all winter and was wearing a light tee shirt. It is relative 🙂

            1. I have a winter coat. I wore it when we went to Fatima shrine before Christmas. It has been in my car which is just now unburied since then :). I truly love cold

              1. I guess so lol.❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

      2. I walked out on my deck to have a look – wasn’t wearing my glasses (I’m nearsighted) so I couldn’t see from the kitchen window, and was delighted with the flakes 🙂 I was also pretty psyched that the snowcover on the deck (which eyeballed looks to be about 8″) supported my weight! Feel free to use my “fairy kiss snowflake” description 😀 I love it, too.

  83. The HRRR wants to shut down the snow fairly soon and then bring it back
    from the SE towards the NW starting about 6AM. Doesn’t go out far enough to know
    what it wants to do after that.

  84. Everything is covered. Some of the sidewalks are beginning to get covered, but
    the street is still wet as it absorbed some heat earlier today. Snowing decently.
    Estimated visibility 1-1.25 miles. It looks very Wintry out there for sure.

  87. How do we know the exact time a particular season starts??

    Spring = 6:45 pm

    Thanks in advance for whoever can answer. 🙂

    1. Wankum thinks .9 for Boston tonight just a touch more tomorrow total I think he said 1.2. That’s his thoughts. He thinks it out tonight not that late.

      1. 0.9 and 1.2 are not his thoughts. Those are model-generated numbers that he showed on his weathercast. He has a trace to 1 inch for his general forecast for the event for the city. They got their trace, so far.

  91. Steady snow in Woburn, vis is just over 1/2 mile so it is “light snow” but getting close to moderate. Small flakes. Heavy dusting so far including pavement, with the exception of the main road I can see from my multi-window 2nd floor perch that is the WHW “office”. 😉

    1. Roofs and grass lightly covered…my street and driveway look fine right now. Radar looks like it is over soon unless I am missing something.

      1. Tapers after 7 ends around 8 or so. Punch of dry air from the NW eats this part. Have to watch for one more shot tomorrow morning. Regardless, it all melts tomorrow anyway.

        1. Thanks. This reminds me of the first snow of the season you sometimes get that reminds you it is winter. Spring starts in 2 minutes and this snow is a reminder of something else ha.

          1. Well we are coming down the home stretch with snow…it’s just kind of a long stretch, unless you live in North Attleboro, then you crossed the finish line already. 😉

  92. It’s seems like NYC is doing well. If I heard it right and I may not have I thought I just heard up to six inches. Is that correct Tk.

    1. Long ago we learned to calculate the moment when the sun would be directly lined up with the equator, or at its furthest reach north or south, based on knowing the wobble of the Earth and being able to adjust for tiny changes in it.

      As for more detail than that, I don’t have much of an idea. 🙂

  95. light snow and 28º in Sherborn at 7PM on the way back from store, figuring about a dusting to less than an inch after this pulls away

          1. I was going to say much quicker than I thought. Roads are not bad a little slick but minor.

  99. We got just under an 1″ here in Amherst and no road accumulation. Pretty low impact event, as expected. Tomorrow any daytime snow in the Boston Metro area is not going to accumulate on the roadways.

    I saw someone wrote NYC had 6″. Just talked to a very reliable source in the City. About 2-3″ on average in Manhattan Brooklyn Queens and very little roadway accumulation. Whatever did fall there will be gone by sunset tomorrow.

  100. Timing was good here as most snow fell in the day lit hours of the afternoon which kept the impact on roadways limited. I would suspect some areas of SE MA while not getting significant accumulation will have some declining roadway conditions this evening as more snow will fall there after dark as compared to areas to the west.

    1. I thought I had heard up to six JMA for NYC that’s why I asked tk to verify. What’s your call for boston ?

  101. JMA, the report of 3″ from NYC was at Central Park Zoo.

    I just spoke to someone driving back on I-91 from skiing in VT today and she said she passed 4 spinouts on 91 in southern VT and northern MA. It wasn’t a lot of snow but just enough to cause issues and the roads weren’t treated.

    1. Interesting, because Central Park is an official reporting station and is usually labeled as such. I have just never seen a report labeled simply NYC. Find

  102. Oh look! We weren’t done (and still aren’t done) with accumulating snow yet! Color me SHOCKED!

  103. Light steady snow in Back Bay. Sticking on sidewalks, side streets, and whitening up the snowbanks. Much colder today than I expected. It is now 27F, according to my thermometer. The feel this week from Tuesday afternoon on was like a January extended cold snap: January-like cold and relentless wind. More of the same starting Sunday.

    There are still 2 foot snowbanks on almost all roads around Back Bay and Beacon Hill, with an occasional 3 foot snowbank. Snow piles in back of my building are close to 10 feet high. I am 100% certain there will be at least some old snow in the city in early April, and I wouldn’t be surprised if snow piles remained until the end of April.

    Also of note the ice on the Charles has been re-forming since Tuesday. That’s remarkable for late March. It had melted some prior to Tuesday night, but the breaks in the ice have now frozen solid. I think that the Charles will still have plenty of ice in early April.

    1. I can tell you that Jamaica Pond, down the street from me, is frozen solidly.
      I couldn’t tell you how thick the ice is, but it looks like Mid-April ice out.
      Lest you think I am joking, have seen that in the past. 😀

  104. I guess my general 3″ for SNE from 60 hours ago is going to be a little high. It is why I don’t like snow maps much before 36 hours prior. Until then light-moderate or moderate to signifigant accumulation should suffice.

    NAM did pretty well with this event. ECMWF continues its more often than not trend to supply too much QPF and too long of a duration. Remember 60 hours ago it was 6″ in Boston and 8-10″ south towards NYC.

  105. Just was on 95 south in Sharon and had a car spinout in front of me on an overpass. I barely missing hitting them. Slippery out there! Be careful if you are going out.

    1. Glad you are safe.

      This is what I meant when I said it’s not about the amount of snow, but the timing.

      Main road is partially covered here now and we have 0.3 inch so far in Woburn.

      1. Thank you both. Amazing how the temp combined with the small amount can make just the right conditions on roads that weren’t treated well tonight.

    1. Me too but it apparently is in the mood to continue. 🙂 Delay the end another hour or so…

  107. Was just out at Bertucci’s in Norwood. When we went to the car, I had to brush it off.
    Perhaps close to 1/2 inch there. Got home, snow significantly lighter. Just about
    ready to quit. Big Woo. Perhaps 1/4 inch here. Enough to whiten my street, but
    main streets are wet and bare.

    A complete NOTHING event.

    NOW, the question is, will more snow be thrown back in here
    tomorrow AM??? That is the big question. The way this has come down,
    Probably not.

    A fresh look at the HRRR, says NO.

              1. Oh come on and work with me and pile some up to get to an inch! I know a spotter or two who love to do that.

  108. The end of this is coming more slowly than the computer forecasts indicated. Fact.

    1. Doesn’t look like any snow will move back in here tomorrow AM like depicted
      on the NAM earlier, does it? HRRR says no, but can that be trusted?

      What do you think?

      1. I don’t think there will be too much back in the morning but we may see brief snow ending as rain – better chance as you head further south and east.

      1. Definitely snowing here at a nice clip. It’s a minor event. But, a nuisance on the highways and a winter reminder.

  114. Mike Waunkum showed a model that had snow returning covering all of eastern MA northward to the NH border first thing tomorrow morning. Any chance this verifies TK?

    My bet is at least 109″ by tomorrow morning whether that verifies or not…outside shot of 110″??

  115. slow, light, soft, floating snowflakes… reminds me of the first Narnia movie

    sticking with an inch or less, all the aesthetic beauty of snow without the cleanup

    1. You have less up here than I have at home. I’m off Waltham Street in my car. 0.4 here. I have almost an inch back home on Woods Hill.

      1. No kidding. Good to know. Funny that I think it’s usually the opposite (or so it’s always seemed to me). Many storms over the year have been several inches up on the hill but dustings in Four Corners. You can have it this time HA.

        1. Actually there was about 0.6 down in Four Corners, 0.4 near the top of Zion, 0.7 here.

  117. just looked at the GFS.

    “Winter” is not over by any stretch. We’re locked in. Plenty of cold and snow chances.

    1. Ski season may go on and on this year. Of course I was completely kidding a month ago when I said wouldn’t it be something if we had no summer at all this year. Sort of like 1816: New England experienced snow and frost throughout July and August. Every month that year reported sub-freezing temperatures. Actually the winter in 1816 started out mild but got progressively colder, probably due to a volcanic eruption and ashes being spewed into the atmosphere. We haven’t had any cataclysmic event this year. But, anything’s possible. Imagine highs in the mid 50s on July 4th, with lows around 30.

      1. Will be tough to get a 150 day growing season this year IMO. We’re adding ice to the ponds for crying out loud.

  122. 12:47Am and STILL steadily snowing here.

    Watched Eric after B-ball. He still thinks there will be a flare up of snow
    tomorrow AM. (assuming it ever stops. My Words) 😀 😀

    1. Looks like the radar is filling in some this morning, exactly over the places that he has additional snowfall for.

  123. Think weather patterns connect around the globe …….

    Fairbanks, AK high temps the last 4 days : 41, 47, 48 and 47F.

    Logan : 51F (the arctic cold front day with the hail), 30, 34 and 32F.

  124. At 1 AM it was snowing, woke up at 5:30 and again at 6:30 still snowing.
    Now it is still snowing ever so lightly at 7:45 AM. 😀

    1. I left the city around midnight this morning and it was not bad at all. Roads were in great shape, basic salt storm.

  125. Lightly snowing out my window right now.
    Looks like the first full day of winter and not the first full day of spring here.
    Much better day with my brackets yesterday going 13-3. Still way off the lead but my Final Four teams still alive.

  126. Morning lows Monday and Tuesday will be widespread in the teens and into the single digits in the colder outlying valleys. Pretty cold for March! Wednesday could be one of those awesome temp swing days from chilly morning low to relatively mild afternoon high.

  127. Looking over the charts, I smell a rat!
    The period April 4 through April 6 needs to be watched carefully.

    We need to be on the lookout for a possible Easter Snow storm.
    If not on Easter, then either side of Easter. Way too early to know at this
    point.

  128. Today’s 1st AccuWeather Trivia Quiz. (Sort of weather)

    What happened this past Friday?
    A. Vernal Equinox
    B. Supermoon
    C. Solar Eclipse
    D. All of the above

    Today’s 2nd AccuWeather Trivia Quiz. (Sort of weather)

    The ring of fire is home to what percentage of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes?
    A. 30%
    B. 50%
    C. 70%
    D. 90%

    Answers to these “weather” questions later today. I got the 2nd one wrong.

    1. A. for the 1st one. Let me think on the 2nd.

      The ring of fire encompasses a good chunk of the globe, so I’m going to make a guess of 90%. D.

      1. Oh, #1 was a trick question. Saw the answer and stopped there.
        I change my Answer for #1 to D.

    1. Remember the other day we theorized that Saturday’s front may resemble Tuesday’s?

  133. Snow intensity has suddenly picked up. Look at this tweet from Tim Kelley.
    And he is correct.

    Tim Kelley NECN ‏@SurfSkiWxMan 9m9 minutes ago Massachusetts, USA
    Snow is not moving in, it’s breaking out -Everywhere
    But we ‘should’ warm & dry a bit, before late day/evening squall

  136. I did not expect to see snow when I woke up this morning out my window. Well got light snow and snow seems to be filling in across a good part of CT.

  138. Let me rephrase that I did not expect it to be still snowing this morning. I did expect snow on the ground.
    To me looks like some convergence setting up shop where the snow is filling in.

  139. Last night Eric would not call today’s situation a Norlun, but rather he called it
    a “linkage” with the storm off shore and the Arctic front. Well how is it linked?
    In such a way that there is “enough” lift to cause snow to break out virtually all
    over SNE. It would seem to be that some sort of “troughiness” exists allowing
    Air from the South and South West to converge with Air from The North over
    SNE. Hey, something is causing the lift, even IF it is not a Norlun in the classic
    sense.

    1. To add to the Eric discussion from a couple days ago, I do notice Eric has been less analytical lately than when he first started with BZ. It’s slight but he seems to be “dumbing down” his forecasts a bit. By him using terms like the two storms linking up, he’s trying to make everyone understand but at the same time insulting the intelligence of weather enthusiasts who know what it really is

      1. I think you “may” be correct. I wish I tweeted him after the
        broadcast. I was just too tired.

      2. An edict from management perhaps. I’d be curious to know if the viewers are not as interested when it gets too technical also. I know there are more average folks than enthusiasts, but the folks on his blog that matter are enthusiasts. Maybe Ask on his blogs. He has always seemed good about responding….better than others IMHO.

        1. 100% agree it’s coming from management. And he is very engaged with his viewers. When I sent him the photo on fb of the snowflakes he got back to me within a few mins

      3. Just an observation, not bashing by any means. I still think Eric is one of if not the best met in Boston

        1. I think he’s the best as well.

          He called for this snow for today. If anything, he under did it, BUT he had it in the forecast.

  143. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb/pac_anom.gif

    In all seriousness, despite what long range models will always do, which is to change the pattern, how does the pattern change big time ?

    1) link above shows the above normal anomolies off the US west coast. This is probably going to continue to trend things towards a positive PNA.

    2) the spring sun is back and where is it going to be easy to build atmospheric warmth ….. out west, where there’s little snow and the ground is parched. This of course, would trend again to a western ridge.

    3) the arctic is 420,000 sq miles short of ice, more than the size of Texas. Symbolic of cold air not being where it should be. If its not there though, its somewhere else and guess who the lucky winners are. 🙁

    This is not to say we cant sneak in a mild day here or there, but I’m of the mindset it stays overall unusually chilly and I really am not sure when that might change.

    1. Shhhhh I can’t deal with it if the overall Chilliness stays much past the Beginning
      of April. I’m good till about April 10, but that’s my tolerance limit.

      Me Can’t Stands it no more!

  145. I asked Tim Kelley about today’s Snow. Here is what he said:

    Tim Kelley NECN ‏@SurfSkiWxMan 4m4 minutes ago Massachusetts, USA
    @JpDave13 not a NorLun trough. S wind ahead of arctic front meets N wind backside ocean storm, upper difluence, phasing nrthrn & sthrn jets

    Ummm…Doesn’t that perfectly describe a Norlun? He basically said what I said above.

    The weather business…..

        1. Hey, thats pretty cool that you could do that OS !

          This should give you an idea of my computer technology abilities. 🙂

          1. Really very very simple. Get the image from the website. Hit the Print screen button. Load paint OR Gimp. Paste in the image. Use one of the drawing tools, I used the pencil. Draw what you want. Save the image. UpLoad it on Imgur.com and paste the link on WHW.

            Piece of cake. 😀

  147. BlueHill Observatory ‏@bhobservatory 2m2 minutes ago
    BHOSC sets all-time record!!!! SNOWIEST WINTER IN 130 YEARS. WITH 1.1″ NEW, NOW AT 145.1″

  148. Snow had let up a bit, but it has now come back with a vengeance!!

    Snowing good once again.

  149. It is coming down real good right now in Mansfield. Charlie, are you liming and fertilizing in the snow today?

    1. This is a really interesting situation developing right over us.
      An inquiring mind might wonder….

  151. Light to moderate here. No accumulation on areas that were bare this am where cars were parked overnight but some on areas already covered with snow. Perhaps .75 all told. That is a guess as I have not been outside.

  152. My snow area up here in the northern suburbs weakened a bit. Just very light snow now, though fairly high density. The flakes are much smaller now but we had some big ones a while ago.

    The concentrated snow area seems to want to shift into the RI to nearby southeastern MA area as Aidan mentioned above.

  153. 32 in Pembroke very light snow shower that’s it. From the sounds of it old salty I suspect I may get called in again as your saying it’s intense there now. I do suspect that will however be coming to an end as temps creep upward. Can’t check radar now need to run to an appointment .

  154. Been snowing all morning in Coventry CT as well, at times moderately. Closing in on 3″ new here including last night. Temp still only 28 and roads are snow covered.

  155. Still Snowing pretty hard here. At least 1 1/2 inches on the ground, including the coating
    from last night. Streets are snow covered.

    1. I believe you OS. I am not posting this to contradict you, but rather when I read your post, it made me think to go look at snowfall totals.

      As of 8:53am, Logan reports 0.7

      If I recall correctly, thats now 109.3 “

      1. That was an hour ago, so sure. sounds about right. I presume
        the .7 was new this morning and did not include last night’s pittance.

  156. Tk, do you agree with what I posted from Tim Kelley above?
    Care to give us your expert explanation for what is causing this snow?

    Many thanks

    1. Basically all it is is a shortwave trough moving through the flow. Models don’t see it well beyond the very short term. Some of the short range guidance saw it decently. Those were the ones that developed the snow on their runs which I thought was slightly overdone, but they were correct.

  157. Steady light to perhaps moderate snow in Wrentham. Was surprised to see radar looking so robust when I checked it. It actually looks very impressive over northern RI right now.

  158. I haven’t used the word Moderate all morning, but it is really close to moderate snow
    right now. Vis approaching 1/2 mile.

  159. TK …. Are congratulations in order ….

    Up above on my Ipad, it says comment – 500005 …..

    Did WHW hit the half million comment or hit mark ?

  161. Moderate snow out my window right now.
    Looking at the snow reports for CT looks like a general 3-6 inches although some places in Fairfield County got a little more than 6 inches.

    1. Same here, our area is doing well on this one. Heaviest echoes keep moving SW to NE over us, and there’s some back-building as well.

  163. I know I said this back in the last days of Feb, into very early March and I thought it was appropriate THEN …….. Here it is 3 weeks later and still ……

    The depth of the cold ….. 3 days that have struggled to get to 32F and now, its snowing while it stays just under 30F.

    Usually, by now, in most cases, even on a cloudy day with the sun having risen 3 hrs ago, its usually above freezing.

    Yes, as we saw in April 1982, we can get a day in the teens.

    While its not that cold today, its the frequency of abnormally cold days the last 6 to 7 weeks now that I have found to be quite impressive.

  164. Temperature here has climbed to 34.2. That with the increasing sun angle, should
    pretty much cap the accumulation. We shall see. Still snowing decently. Big flakes mixing in. Probably flip to rain soon.

  165. Definitely seeing a back edge to the precip on radar.
    Still some pretty good echoes to get through. 😀

    1. Gil Simmons NEWS8 CT ‏@gilsimmons 1m1 minute ago
      The snow HAS ENDED along RTE 7 In western Connecticut. Ending line slowly moving east. Still expect sun peeks/melting & 40s 2pm-5pm.

  166. Its snow at a lighter pace now. Just had a burst of moderate snow.
    As I said earlier was not expecting to be snowing when I woke up this morning.

  167. Not sure about comments: My counter says 169,796 before I wrote this reply. Maybe it included spam that I now auto-delete? Not sure. I’ll have to check with my non weather geek computer guy who just happens to be hanging around WHW headquarters this weekend…

  170. Bloggers down in the RI and adjacent MA area please if you can let me know your total snow from this. Looks like a mini jackpot area there (not a ton of snow obviously, just a relative maximum).

  172. Snowing pretty hard with big flakes, BUT the sky has brightened considerably.
    Temperature here is 36.3. Seems a bit high????

    1. Logan 11AM reading is 31. I may need a new thermometer. 36.9 now with
      the brightening sky.

      Last batch of heavier echoes just about through.

      Temps to the 40s soon.

      1. 28-34 across eastern MA as of 11AM. Where is your sensor? It may be reacting to solar radiation off snowcover.

        1. It’s in the back of the house about 6 feet off the ground
          and extremely protected. TONS of snow nearby.
          But what you say, makes sense. Could be reflecting
          from Neighbors yard which is in the Sun??

            1. It is probably a reflection issue then. My sensor was originally in a spot sheltered from direct sun but would jump up 10 degrees of there was snow on the ground and the sun was shining in the morning. I had to readjust the location because at the time I did not have a proper “instrument shelter”.

  173. TK – Is the 28-31 timeframe for a possible last (major) snow event still valid at this point?…as well as the big chill for April?

    1. No surprise there. The rest will melt this afternoon as there will be a little sunshine to boost the ground warmth.

  179. The BIG flakes that I mentioned earlier have gone POOF and now the sun is peaking through with very light mix rain/snow showers. Also those big flakes were briefly borderline moderate. Considering this was the northern fringe, I believe the Pike areas and northward “overachieved” a bit although I don’t believe plows were ever required most areas including the side streets/roads…was treatment even put down??

  180. One last little broken line of snow showers coming through metro Boston now. Don’t be surprised if you see a quick burst of flakes.

    1. Out in Newton. Drove through it.done now.
      About 2 inches in jp.

      Anyone got the word from logan???

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