Active Early March

1:06AM

SUMMARY…
More cold, more storminess, but we’re very slowly climbing out of the worst of the deep cave of Winter 2015. But we’ll still be having our moments of storminess including some Winter weather, and 2 are coming up in fairly quick succession. The first will be from low pressure tracking northwest of New England Tuesday night and Wednesday. Its warm front will approach late Tuesday and bring a swath of snow into southern New England, producing up to a few quick inches before warmer air aloft turns the snow to sleet/ice/rain (depending on location) then finally ending as scattered rain showers early Wednesday as milder air makes it to the surface behind the passing warm front. A cold front will quickly follow, but will not have any meaningful precipitation with it. This front will settle just southeast of the region by Wednesday night, and then a wave of low pressure will move northeastward along it, passing southeast of New England Thursday morning and midday, as the colder air comes back into the region. This will produce snow, which may start as rain or a mix, across southeastern New England for the morning and early afternoon of Thursday, with the greatest chance for significant snow accumulation in southeastern MA and RI. After this system departs, look for a dry but cold Friday. A weak low pressure area will cross the Great Lakes and move north of the area later Saturday and early Sunday with a few snow showers possible. This will be followed by a small area of high pressure and dry and chilly weather for later Sunday into Monday.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Increasing cloudiness. Highs 25-30. Wind NW up to 10 MPH early, becoming SE 5-15 MPH by late day.
TONIGHT: Cloudy. Snow arrives west to east early and accumulates 1 to 3 inches during the evening, then changes to sleet and rain from south to north, some freezing rain inland, late evening before tapering off overnight with just a few lingering rain showers except a few icy pockets inland. Temperature rise into the 30s. Wind SE 5-15 MPH shifting to S.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs 35-40 interior valleys, 40-45 elsewhere. Wind SW 5-15 MPH, shifting to NW.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Rain and snow arriving southwest to northeast, changing to snow. Lows in the 20s. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY: Cloudy with snow, accumulating a coating to a few inches southern NH and northern MA, a few to several inches southern MA and RI, tapering off by late. Temperatures steady in the 20s. Wind NE to N 10-20 MPH.
FRIDAY: Variably cloudy. Low 15. High 25.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Chance of snow showers late. Low 20. High 35.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers early. Low 25. High 35.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 40.

The Winter Review / The Week Ahead / The Spring Ahead

7:42PM

The Winter Review

Here in Woburn, in the northwest suburbs of Boston, Winter got off to a slow start, snow-wise, though if you include November as part of your Winter season, it felt like Winter a little early as it was a chilly month. This was followed by a mild, wet, and nearly snowless December. Things changed again in January which was a cold and mainly dry month for its first 3 weeks with limited snow. Here in Woburn, through January 23, less than 10 inches of snow had fallen for the season-to-date, while Boston had seen 5.5 inches of snow. In a joking yet serious way, sometime in early or mid January I had noted on the blog that I felt most of the snow for the Winter would take place during the period January 24 through March 8. Of course at the time, I wasn’t expecting the pattern to change essentially ON January 24 (the first storm of what would become a seemingly endless barrage of storms that shattered several records). The dates were really picked as a rough boundary around what I thought would be a period of active storminess. I did not expect the extreme cold that ended up accompanying this very stormy period. Here we sit on March 1 now, the first day of Meteorological Spring, but still in Astronomical Winter and also still in a Winter weather pattern, a new snow event getting underway as of the writing of this blog. Will the pattern last until exactly March 8? Probably not exactly, but it is safe to say we are by the worst of the cold and frequent snow even though we are not quite clear of bouts of this kind of weather. More to come on this below. Before that we’ll look at the coming week, and before that still, I will end this section with a review of Meteorological Winter for some southern New England cities, prepared by the National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1253 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2015

…WINTER 2014-2015 IN REVIEW…

ALL DATA PRESENTED HEREIN IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO REVISION.

ANY MONTHLY RECORDS FALLING WITHIN THE TOP TEN OF THE PERIOD OF
RECORD WILL BE ANNOTATED IN THE REMARKS SECTION IMMEDIATELY RIGHT.

BOSTON

…PERIOD OF RECORD: 1872 TO PRESENT…

AVG HIGH AVG LOW AVG MEAN PCPN SNOW REMARKS
——– ——- ——– —- —- ——-

DEC: 43.7 32.7 38.2 6.56 0.3
+2.5 +4.5 +3.5 +2.78 -8.7

JAN: 33.1 19.0 26.1 3.57 34.3 6TH SNOWIEST
-2.7 -3.2 -2.9 +0.21 +21.4

FEB: 27.8 10.1 19.0 3.37 64.8 2ND COLDEST
-10.9 -14.6 -12.7 +0.12 +53.9 ALL-TIME SNOWIEST

SEASONAL SUMMARY
——————

WINTER: 34.9 20.6 27.8 13.50 99.4 ALL-TIME SNOWIEST
-3.7 -4.5 -4.0 +3.11 +66.6

RECORDS
——-
12/09…RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION…2.90…PREVIOUSLY 1.29 IN 1956.
12/25…RECORD MAXIMUM LOW TEMPERATURE…44…PREVIOUSLY 43 IN 1888.
01/27…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…22.1…PREVIOUSLY 8.8 IN 2011.
02/02…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…16.2…PREVIOUSLY 11.1 IN 1974.
02/09…TIED RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…14.8…ALSO SET IN 2013.
02/15…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…13.0…PREVIOUSLY 11.0 IN 1940.
FEB…RECORD MONTHLY SNOWFALL…64.8…PREVIOUSLY 41.6 IN 2003.
WINTER…RECORD SEASONAL SNOWFALL…99.4…PREVIOUSLY 81.5 IN 1993-1994.
ALL-TIME…MONTHLY SNOWFALL…64.8…PREVIOUSLY 43.3 IN JANUARY 2005.
ALL-TIME…2ND COLDEST MONTHLY AVG…19.0…RECORD IS 17.5 – FEB 1934.

________________________________________________________________

HARTFORD

…PERIOD OF RECORD: 1905 TO PRESENT…

AVG HIGH AVG LOW AVG MEAN PCPN SNOW REMARKS
——– ——- ——– —- —- ——-

DEC: 42.0 29.3 35.7 4.55 0.7 9TH LEAST SNOWIEST
+2.3 +5.9 +4.1 +1.11 -6.7

JAN: 32.3 14.3 23.3 3.23 17.1
-2.2 -3.4 -2.8 0.00 +4.8

FEB: 27.2 4.9 16.1 2.95 31.9 ALL-TIME COLDEST
-11.3 -16.0 -13.6 +0.06 +20.9 3RD SNOWIEST

SEASONAL SUMMARY
——————

WINTER: 33.8 16.2 25.0 10.73 49.7
-3.7 -4.5 -4.1 +1.17 +19.0

RECORDS
——-
12/09…RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION…1.77…PREVIOUSLY 1.33 IN 1978.
12/25…RECORD MAXIMUM LOW TEMPERATURE…43…PREVIOUSLY 42 IN 1987.
01/18…RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION…1.32…PREVIOUSLY 0.99 IN 2006.
02/02…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…10.8…PREVIOUSLY 6.5 IN 1916.
02/06…RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE…-7…PREVIOUSLY -5 IN 1988/1910.
02/20…RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE…-4…PREVIOUSLY -3 IN 1936.
02/21…RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE…-9…PREVIOUSLY -2 IN 1972/1950.
02/24…RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE…-8…PREVIOUSLY -4 IN 1907.
FEB…RECORD COLDEST MONTHLY AVG TEMP…16.1…PREV 16.5 IN 1934.
ALL-TIME…COLDEST MONTHLY AVG TEMP…16.1…PREV 16.5 IN FEB 1934.

________________________________________________________________

PROVIDENCE

…PERIOD OF RECORD: 1905 TO PRESENT…

AVG HIGH AVG LOW AVG MEAN PCPN SNOW REMARKS
——– ——- ——– —- —- ——-

DEC: 44.8 31.0 37.9 6.25 0.9
+2.5 +4.7 +3.6 +2.03 -7.8

JAN: 34.2 18.2 26.2 3.62 25.6 5TH SNOWIEST
-3.2 -2.8 -3.0 -0.24 +16.6

FEB: 28.3 8.5 18.4 2.73 31.8 2ND COLDEST
-12.0 -15.1 -13.6 -0.56 +23.3 ALL-TIME SNOWIEST

SEASONAL SUMMARY
—————-

WINTER: 35.8 19.2 27.5 12.60 58.3 3RD SNOWIEST
-4.2 -4.4 -4.3 +1.23 +32.1

RECORDS
——-
12/09…RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION…2.74…PREVIOUSLY 1.55 IN 1978.
12/24…RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE…64…PREVIOUSLY 60 IN 1990.
12/25…TIED RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE…63…ALSO SET IN 1964.
01/26…TIED RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…3.1…ALSO SET IN 1987.
01/27…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…16.0…PREVIOUSLY 6.7 IN 2011.
02/02…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…7.9…PREVIOUSLY 6.5 IN 1934.
02/21…RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE…-5…PREVIOUSLY -3 IN 1950.
02/24…TIED RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE…-3…ALSO SET IN 1907.
FEB…RECORD MONTHLY SNOWFALL…31.8…PREVIOUSLY 30.9 IN 1962.
ALL-TIME…2ND MONTHLY SNOWFALL…31.8…RECORD IS 37.4 – JAN 2005.
ALL-TIME…2ND COLDEST MONTHLY AVG…18.4…RECORD IS 17.4 – FEB 1934.

________________________________________________________________

WORCESTER

…PERIOD OF RECORD: 1892 TO PRESENT…

AVG HIGH AVG LOW AVG MEAN PCPN SNOW REMARKS
——– ——- ——– —- —- ——-

DEC: 37.9 27.3 32.6 4.90 1.5 9TH LEAST SNOWIEST
+1.6 +4.7 +3.2 +1.08 -12.9

JAN: 28.4 13.5 21.0 5.03 46.5 4TH SNOWIEST
-2.9 -3.3 -3.1 +1.54 +29.4

FEB: 23.3 5.1 14.2 3.28 53.4 ALL-TIME COLDEST
-11.3 -14.3 -12.8 +0.05 +37.8 ALL-TIME SNOWIEST

SEASONAL SUMMARY
—————-

WINTER: 29.9 15.3 22.6 13.21 101.4 ALL-TIME SNOWIEST
-4.1 -4.3 -4.2 +2.67 +54.3

RECORDS
——-
01/18…RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION…1.30…PREVIOUSLY 1.21 IN 2006.
01/27…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…31.9…PREVIOUSLY 11.0 IN 2011.
02/02…RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL…17.4…PREVIOUSLY 8.4 IN 1974.
FEB…RECORD COLDEST MONTHLY AVG TEMP…14.2…PREV 14.4 IN 1934.
FEB…RECORD MONTHLY SNOWFALL…53.4…PREV 45.2 IN 1996/1962.
WINTER…RECORD SEASONAL SNOWFALL…101.4…PREV 86.7 IN 2004-2005.
ALL-TIME…COLDEST MONTHLY AVG TEMP…14.2…PREV 14.4 IN FEB 1934.
ALL-TIME…MONTHLY SNOWFALL…53.4…PREV 50.9 IN JANUARY 2005.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The Week Ahead

SUMMARY…
The first full week of March will feature below normal temperatures and some unsettled weather, including a legitimate shot at Boston breaking its all time record for snowfall in a single season. That little detail remains to be seen but will largely be determined by how much snow falls there tonight and with the next shot of precipitation on Tuesday night. This is how I think it plays out: Low pressure tracks just south of New England tonight and exits the region early Monday. It brings a swath of accumulating snow to southern New England. Moisture is greatest along and south of the Mass Pike where the highest totals are expected to be. To the north, a little less precipitation also fighting drier air may limit snowfall. Another place where amounts may be limited would be Nantucket as it would be mild enough there for some mixing with sleet and rain. I will place expected accumulations in the forecast below and will adjust by edit and through comment messages if needed. As this system moves away Monday it will be replaced by drier weather with a gusty cold wind. Tuesday will dawn bright but end grey as another storm approaches. The track of this one is likely to take the low pressure center northwest of New England, but cold air will be tough to dislodge over the deep snow cover in place so it will be a snow to ice situation inland and snow to rain along the coast and especially toward the South Coast. What may happen is that the majority of the moisture may have come through while it was still cold enough to snow in many areas, so that by the time the ice/rain gets involved precipitation may be limited. This would be good as it would limit icing issues and limit the amount of water weight added to the snow cover. Most areas should warm enough for an end as liquid rain showers during Wednesday morning. This brief shot of “mild” air early Wednesday will be quickly replaced by colder air for later in the week, though not as cold as some recent cold shots. It may also be somewhat unsettled as there will be a broad trough in the upper levels across the Northeast, and some systems will be moving along the jet stream during the Thursday through Sunday period. We may even have to watch the recently-departed system from midweek through Thursday and Friday in case some of this moisture ripples back to the north and catches southern New England with some additional precipitation.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Cloudy with snow, except a possibly mix with sleet/rain Nantucket. Snow accumulation 1-3 inches southern NH and northern two thirds of MA as well as the outer part of Cape Cod and on Martha’s Vineyard, 1-2 inches on Nantucket, and 3-6 inches in the southern third of MA and the state of RI. Temperatures steady in the 20s except 30-35 immediate South Coast and Islands. Wind variable under 15 MPH.
MONDAY: Early clouds, then sunshine with passing clouds. Highs in the 30s. Wind W 10-20 MPH and gusty.
MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows around 10 inland, 15 coast except near 20 Cape Cod. W breeze.
TUESDAY: Sunshine followed by clouds. Snow arrives evening, may turn to ice some areas and rain South Coast at night. Highs around 30. Wind NE 5-15 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. AM rain showers. Temperatures steady 30s to lower 40s.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of mix/snow especially Cape Cod. Lows 25-30. Highs 35-40.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows 25-30. Highs 35-40.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Lows 15-20. Highs 35-40.
SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows 20-25. Highs 30-35.

______________________________________________________________________________________

The Spring Ahead

Hey, it’s almost time to “spring ahead”, that is, change the clocks forward an hour to Daylight Savings Time. Takes place next weekend (2AM Sunday). But that’s not what this section is about. It’s a quick outlook for Meteorological Spring. Here goes.

March: Slow transition out of the February pattern taking place now, and as previously mentioned, the deep snowcover will refrigerate the region and modify air masses. A look ahead beyond the 7-day forecast period above indicates that below normal temperatures will last through mid month, though not to the levels of departure we saw in February. There still may be a couple quick shots of air from the Arctic, but with a pattern that will trend drier, more days of sun will allow for a gradual melt of the big snowcover. If we can get this to happen in the absence of big rain events, it will minimize flooding and other concerns. Late March is likely to be a little wetter, but more toward the average, with temperatures near to below normal.

April: Some evidence for a ridge wanting to become established in the Caribbean and Southeast, with a mean trough shifting back to the Western States. Though this may place New England in the jet stream and prone to passing systems, we should see a temperature moderation, not only seasonally but also pattern-driven. This, and the alternating fair weather and passing systems pattern should result in fairly close to normal precipitation and slightly below normal temperatures as it takes the ground a while to warm after drying out post snow cover.

May: The pattern of April will continue to slowly build. There will likely be a few instances, however, where we see some cut off lows messing up the weather for a few days, i.e. cool and damp while areas not far away are bright and warm. Not really atypical. Coastal areas may also be on the cool side quite often during the Spring as water temperatures will start the season below normal and will take some time to warm. Overall temperatures for May should average near normal coastal areas, near to above normal inland, with precipitation below normal for the region.

Weekend Update

8:16PM

SUMMARY…
High pressure overhead with clear sky, calm wind, and deep snowcover tonight – perfect radiational cooling. There will be some low temperatures well below zero, but most areas will be above, just very cold. This low launching pad for Sunday means it struggles back to the 20s as clouds increase ahead of the next storm system, which will occur Sunday night in the form of snow for all areas except for the possibility of some mixed precipitation over the outer part of Cape Cod and over the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. It looks like this system will drop a general 3 to 6 inches of snow across most areas, but there may be a little less than 3 inches in portions of north central MA and southern NH due to less overall precipitation, and less than 3 inches in areas where mixing occurs. There may also be a few areas that receive over 6 inches not far inland from the South Coast in south central RI and southeastern MA. Once this system exits early Monday, that day will turn out breezy, chilly, and drier with sun returning. Another cold night Monday night as high pressure moves overhead, but not as cold as tonight. Tuesday, sun will be followed by clouds as the next storm system approaches, but this one is destined to take a track northwest of New England, putting this region on the “mild” side. Remember that a deep snowcover in place will make it difficult for many areas to warm up, so freezing rain will be a possibility for some areas, along with rain where it warms sufficiently, after all areas start as snow. It is entirely possible that Boston breaks its all-time seasonal snowfall record of 107.6 inches set in 1995-1996 after the next 2 storms. After the midweek storm the confidence is a little lower late in the week as there will be some lingering moisture to the southeast and a few more disturbances in the northern jet stream, so timing and possible interaction are difficult to determine this far in advance. Will make an attempt to do this with a little more confidence on the next update.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Clear. Lows from -15 interior valleys to +10 Cape Cod. Wind calm.
SUNDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs in the 20s. Wind light SE.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with snow. See above for accumulations. Temperatures steady in the 20s but may rise to 30-35 Outer Cape Cod and Islands. Wind SE to S 5-15 MPH shifting to N then NE overnight.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine and passing clouds. Highs 35-40. Wind W 15-25 MPH.
TUESDAY: Sunny morning. Increasing clouds afternoon. Snow to mix at night. Lows 15-20. Highs 30-35.
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy morning with rain but possible ice inland. Mostly cloudy afternoon with rain showers. Lows 30-35. Highs 35-40 late day inland, 40s coast.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain or mix Cape Cod. Lows 30-35. Highs 35-40.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows 25-30. Highs 30-35.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Lows 20-25. Highs 35-40.

Quiet February Finish

3:30AM

SUMMARY…
High pressure builds in today and Saturday and brings fair and cold weather to southeastern New England. This high will slip offshore by Sunday and a cold front will approach then pass through the region at night, with a wave of low pressure developing along it. This will bring a period of snow Sunday night and early Monday with some accumulation. High pressure returns later Monday into Tuesday with dry weather, but as things move along rather swiftly, the next system will arrive Tuesday night as snow and may become a mix or rain, depending on its track, before winding down later Wednesday. Dry weather is expected to return by Thursday of next week.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Partly to mostly sunny. Highs in the 20s. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows -10 to 10, coldest interior valleys. Wind light NW.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 30. Wind light variable.
SUNDAY: Increasing clouds. Snow at night. Low 15. High 35.
MONDAY: Early snow followed by clearing. Low 25. High 35.
TUESDAY: Sunshine followed by clouds. Snow to mix at night. Low 15. High 35.
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Morning rain/mix. Afternoon rain showers. Low 35. High 40.
THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Low 25. High 35.

From No Threat To Snow Threat

5:36PM

SUMMARY…
Before you panic, it’s not a big threat. But it should come as no surprise that a storm that looked as if it would pass harmlessly out to sea is going to be close enough to spread some snow into parts of southeastern New England. This will happen Thursday, but it’s not going to be all that much, and will not be a long-lasting event either. It will be a low pressure area passing southeast of the region that causes this. The storm’s moisture shield and some added ocean enhancement will combine to bring a light snowfall from about Boston to Cape Cod. See below for accumulations. This event is history by late Thursday night and high pressure builds in for Friday and Saturday with fair but cold weather. This is how February will end. March arrives Sunday and it will be a month that will at least start out with a colder than average and somewhat stormy weather pattern. Not looking for a repeat of the sledge hammer snow barrage of February, but there will be some threats of snow, getting Boston very close to if not into record territory for seasonal snowfall. The first system will arrive Sunday night into Monday. The system behind that one is due by Wednesday of next week.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows around 10-15, some colder spots interior valleys. Wind light N.
THURSDAY: Cloudy. A period of snow mainly from the I-95 belt southeastward with a coating to 1 inch accumulation except 1 to 3 inches from Plymouth County MA through Cape Cod. Highs 20-25. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Slow clearing. Lows 0-5 inland valleys, 5-10 elsewhere except 10-15 immediate coast and urban centers. Wind N to NW 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 20-25. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.
SATURDAY: Sunny. Low 0. High 25.
SUNDAY: Increasing clouds. Chance of snow at night. Low 10. High 30.
MONDAY: Cloudy with snow early, then clearing. Low 20. High 30.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 30.
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Snow or mix possible. Low 20. High 40.

Quick Update Again

7:21AM

SUMMARY…
Eastern and southeastern areas were clipped by snow overnight. A sharp cut-off on the western edge left most areas west of I-95 out of the snow except some areas to the south. It’s all out to sea now and today will be a less cold day than yesterday along with dry weather but a gusty breeze. An offshore storm will toss some of its clouds over the region Thursday and also turn the wind a bit more to the northeast near the shore where a few snow showers may occur, especially Cape Cod. High pressure builds in Friday and Saturday with fair but cold weather. As March begins, so will a train of potential storm systems, the first late Sunday and early Monday with some kind of combination of precipitation. The next one may approach by late Tuesday.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Partly sunny morning. Mostly sunny afternoon. Highs 30-35. Wind W 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy evening. Mostly cloudy overnight. Lows 10-15 inland, 15-20 coast. Wind light NW.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. A few snow showers possible Cape Cod. Highs in the 20s. Wind NNE 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 20.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
SUNDAY: Increasing clouds. PM snow or mix. Low 20. High 35.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. AM mix. Low 30. High 40.
TUESDAY: Sun to clouds. Night mix. Low 25. High 35.

Quick Update

7:26AM

SUMMARY…
Arctic high pressure today. Low pressure offshore passes close enough for some snow tonight but exits Wednesday. More cold air but dry weather the last few days of February. March begins slightly milder but turns unsettled..

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Sun and high clouds. Highs 15-20. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Clouding up. Snow of 1-3 inches except 3-5 inches immediate coast and Cape Cod overnight. Lows 10-15. Wind variable becoming N 5-15 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Partly to mostly sunny. Lingering snow showers Cape Cod. Highs in the 20s. Wind W to NW 10-20 MPH.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Lows around 10. Highs around 25.
SATURDAY: Sunny. Lows around 15. Highs around 30.
SUNDAY: Increasing clouds. Lows around 20. Highs around 40.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Chance of snow/mix/rain showers. Lows around 30. Highs around 40.

The Week Ahead

8:20PM

COMMENTARY…
Not too often a day in the upper 30s to lower 40s following snow and rain would be considered a “really nice day” but many probably thought that of Sunday, the first day that Boston was above freezing most of the day in a very long while. The day allowed for being outside without being bundled in layers. The shoveling of snow was more of the clean up and catch up variety versus just trying to stay ahead of a storm during near-blizzard conditions. Granted, there are many people with ice dam problems but at least today afforded the opportunity for some people to work on clearing those, or at least lessening their impact. We have quite a way to go still to finish recovering from the 4-week barrage that we’ve been enduring, but Sunday, though maybe not a “day of rest”, was a nice break.

SUMMARY…
The mild air’s brief visit will end in the early hours of Monday as an Arctic cold front sweeps through the region from west to east. Though the front may be accompanied by a few isolated snow showers, the main impact will be tumbling temperatures during Monday and Monday night. The deep freeze will last through Tuesday as well. A clipper low pressure system will dive southeastward out of Canada, across the Great Lakes, and then move eastward through New England by early Wednesday. Developing low pressure offshore should stay just too far east to impact the region, other than perhaps clipping Cape Cod with some snow/mix. Elsewhere, just a few snow showers are expected early Wednesday. This will bring in a reinforcing shot of cold for the last 3 days of February, though the magnitude of the cold will not be as great as what will be experienced early this week. A look ahead to the first day of March next Sunday shows clouds rolling in and moderating temperatures ahead of the next weather system. The pattern remains active but will be a little less volatile.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Isolated snow showers after midnight. Lows 15-20. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Partly sunny morning. Mostly sunny afternoon. Highs 20-25 morning then falling through 10s. Wind NW 10-20 MPH gusting to 30 MPH. Wind chill falling below 0 at times during the afternoon.
MONDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows -15 to -10 inland valleys, -10 to -5 other inland areas, -5 to 0 coastal locations and urban centers except 0-5 Cape Cod and Islands. Wind NW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts, but not as strong in valley locations. Wind chill often well below 0.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 20-25. Wind W to SW 5-15 MPH with higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy AM with a chance of snow showers all areas and possibly a period of steady snow/mix Cape Cod. Partly cloudy PM. Low 20. High 35.
THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Low 10. High 25.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 10. High 25.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 30.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 20. High 40.

Weekend Update

8:24AM

SUMMARY…
The latest event will be winding down this morning, and this one let most of us off quite easy with snowfall amounts coming in from below the predicted range to the lower end of the predicted range for most areas. The area not let off so easily is southeastern MA because of milder air being stronger there and resulting in moderate amounts of rain falling upon a heavy snow pack. This increases stress on roofs and increases the chance of future flooding. Moving forward, a short synopsis of what goes on during the final 7 days of February. Weekend system slowly exits today with lingering rain to mix southeastern MA and a little light snow to the northwest with only minor additional accumulation during this morning, then breaking clouds this afternoon. It will feel quite mild with high temperatures above freezing in many areas. But that is only a brief reprieve as an Arctic cold front will race west to east across southern New England Monday morning and return the region to the deep freeze through Tuesday. A low pressure system moving through courtesy the northern jet stream will bring snow showers Wednesday. A southern jet stream storm system will get going offshore but the two will not interact until they are well beyond this area, sparing the region another significant snowstorm. Cold air is reinforced for later in the week, but probably not as cold as the shot that starts the week.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Cloudy with spotty snow northeastern to central MA, rain to mix elsewhere, ending by midday. Breaking clouds and partial sun this afternoon. Highs in the 30s, some lower 40s southeastern MA/RI. Wind W up to 10 MPH, few higher gusts.
TONIGHT: Partly to mostly cloudy with a slight risk of a passing snow shower. Lows around 20. Wind W increasing to 10-20 MPH with higher gusts, shifting to NW by dawn.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Temperatures steady around 20 through midday then falling through the 10s. Wind NW 15-25 MPH with higher gusts. Wind chill falling toward 0.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 0. High 20.
WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy. Snow showers. Low 10. High 30.
THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 10. High 25.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Low 10. High 30.

Weekend Outlook

7:37PM

SUMMARY…
This update focuses on the weekend event, which is pretty much looking the same to me as it has all along. After a very cold overnight, clouds roll in by early Saturday and snow approaches and overspreads the region by mid to late afternoon and continues into the evening. All the while it will be trying to warm up from the south, but the wedge of cold air will hold strong near the ground while it warms a little more easily aloft. This means that the snow will transition to sleet and rain across the South Coast of RI and into southeastern MA, with freezing rain actually more likely in all but immediate coastal areas. Where it stays all snow, a moderate accumulation is expected. Lesser accumulation is expected in the mix/change area, with least toward the South Coast where the snow will last less time and the chance of plain rain is highest. The mix/change will be mainly a Saturday night and Sunday morning occurrence before the entire system exits from west to east later Sunday, opening the door for another blast of Arctic air with dry weather for Monday and Tuesday. Also continuing to monitor the possibility of a storm nearby on Wednesday, and this is still possible, though current indications point more to a northern stream system passing through with snow showers and not really phasing up with southern stream energy off the coast. Jury is still out on what may take place here. By late in the week, it’s dry and cold again.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows -10 to +10 from south central NH to Cape Cod, colder in some valleys. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Snow developing west to east afternoon. Highs in the 20s. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH shifting to SE.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with snow of 3-6 inches northwest of a line from northern Plymouth County MA to Providence RI, and 1-3 inches elsewhere except less than 1 inch Cape Cod and Islands, changing to sleet and freezing rain South Coast eventually into more of RI and southeastern MA, northwestward into the Boston area by dawn. Temperatures steady in the 20s but rising to the lower 30s South Coast. Wind SE 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Cloudy through midday with snow/sleet well northwest of Boston, snow to sleet and freezing rain Boston to Providence, plain rain immediate South Coast. Precipitation ending west to east early afternoon with breaking clouds. Highs from near 30 northwest of Boston to 40-45 immediate South Coast. Wind SE under 10 MPH except SW to W 5-15 MPH near the South Coast, then shifting to NW all areas and increasing to 15-25 MPH during the afternoon.
MONDAY: Partly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 15. High 30.
THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 15. High 25.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 20.

Heard It All Before

10:25PM

SUMMARY…
Frigid Friday, check.
Saturday snow, check.
Sunday mix, check.
Early week cold, check.
Watching midweek storm, check.
Basically no changes to the previous blog discussion.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
OVERNIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows -5 to +10, coldest northwest interior MA and southern NH, mildest Cape Cod. Wind NW 15-25 MPH with higher gusts. Wind chill -5 to -20.
FRIDAY: Sunny. Highs 10-15 interior MA and southern NH, 15-20 elsewhere. Wind NW 15-25 MPH and gusty. wind chill near to below 0.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows -5 to +10 from south central NH to Cape Cod. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Snow developing west to east afternoon. Highs in the 20s. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with snow of light to moderate accumulation, changing to sleet and freezing rain South Coast. Temperatures steady in the 20s. Wind light NE.
SUNDAY: Cloudy through midday with snow/sleet well northwest of Boston, snow to sleet and freezing rain Boston to Providence, sleet and rain South Coast. Precipitation ending west to east early afternoon with breaking clouds. Highs from near 30 northwest of Boston to 40-45 immediate South Coast. Wind NE under 10 MPH except SW to W 5-15 MPH near the South Coast, then shifting to NW all areas and increasing to 15-25 MPH during the afternoon.
MONDAY: Partly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Low 15. High 25.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 15. High 30.

Oh Low!

9:02PM

SUMMARY…
Norluns, low pressure centers, upper troughs. It’s all about low pressure areas through Thursday, basically as described in the previous blog with the inverted trough lifting from northeastern MA through eastern NH into southern Maine as broad upper low pressure crosses the region through Thursday and ignites another surface low just east of New England by early Thursday which then move northward. After the snow showers occur as expected, we’ll get a blast of Arctic air with wind Thursday night and Friday. We’re still watching the next storm system for the weekend, the track of which is in question, and as a result so is the amount of milder air that gets involved. Been leaning toward the colder solution for this event Saturday night and Sunday because of the weakness of the expected low and the tremendous cold snowpack in place. We may see warm enough air come in aloft to result in sleet and freezing rain, and even plain rain in some areas by Sunday as it does turn somewhat milder, but this will be a tricky forecast right up until the event occurs. Dry and cold weather is expected to return Monday and last through Tuesday. An offshore storm will threaten the region with some snow next Wednesday but it is, of course, too far away to figure any details with that threat.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
OVERNIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Snow showers, most numerous in Essex County MA northward. Accumulation of 1 to 3 inches Essex County MA into NH, less than 1 inch most other areas. Lows in the 10s. Wind light variable.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with snow showers in the morning. Additional accumulation of up to 1 inch. Partly sunny with isolated snow showers in the afternoon. Highs 25-30 by midday, falling back through the 20s in the afternoon. Wind NW increasing to 15-25 MPH with higher gusts.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows around 0. Wind NW 15-25 MPH and gusty. Wind chill well below 0.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs around 15. Wind NW 15-25 MPH and gusty. Wind chill near to below 0.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Snow at night. Low 5. High 25.
SUNDAY: Cloudy. Snow/sleet/ice/rain. Low 20. High 30 north to 40 far south.
MONDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 5. High 25.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Low 15. High 25.

“Inching” Closer To #1

10:30PM

COMMENTARY…
For many of you, the only good thing about this month of February 2015 is that it only has 28 days and will end. Although you cannot deny the fascinating aspect of this incredibly cold and snowy month, one that nobody quite saw coming to this extent. Back in January when I tossed out dates for a target period for the majority of our snow for this Winter (January 24-March 8), I never envisioned what was getting set to unfold. I forecast a “milder” February from what we had seen in January, not something that is all that unusual even with the expected snowy pattern. But instead the temperature went even lower, and Boston has a shot at having only the second month on record coming in with an average temperature below 20F. The other was February 1934, the month in which Boston recorded its all time record low temperature of -18 in February 9. Though that record will not fall, many others have and a couple more are within reach, including the record coldest month and the all time snowiest Winter (and even if we don’t reach that in February, there is still March). Boston moved into a tie for #2 on the snowiest Winters list with the 0.6 inch snowfall Tuesday, bringing the total to the same as the 1993-1994 Winter at 96.3 inches and is within 1 foot from the #1 spot of 107.6 inches from the 1995-1996 Winter. This record is now very much within reach and may indeed fall before the end of the 7-day forecast period covered in this blog…

SUMMARY…
The active and cold weather pattern goes on, and the atmosphere continues to find every way possible to snow on Boston with more on the way. Tuesday’s snow was a double deal, though not amounting to too much in the city and up to a few inches along the coast mainly to the south of the city, and came from a passing storm well to the south and an onshore flow which brought moisture off the ocean. Wednesday, another storm system forming on an offshore boundary, though being too far offshore to bring more precipitation directly, will be the parent of an inverted trough, or a Norlun trough, which will grow northwestward from the passing storm on Wednesday and inject an area of snow into eastern MA during late afternoon and evening. This trough will then migrate northward through northeastern MA and southeastern NH and eventually into southern Maine and will the focus for enhanced snowfall and some potential significant accumulation by early Thursday. Though it looks like Boston itself will escape the heaviest, the North Shore northward may not. And in addition to this, another low pressure area will develop just east of Cape Cod by early Thursday and then track northward through the Gulf of Maine by Thursday night. This system will be intensifying and its back-side snow showers will likely deliver some more scattered accumulation to southern NH and parts of MA. Oh and it won’t be done with us even when it’s done snowing on us, as it delivers another batch of Arctic air for Thursday night and Friday. Have you had enough yet? Well yes or no, we’ll be in for another storm threat which will be arriving over the weekend, most likely Sunday. The big question with this one is whether or not it will track in such a fashion to allow relatively milder air in from the south to introduce a mix or rain, or whether it will will track far enough south to keep colder air entrenched for a snowier outcome. At the moment I’m leaning toward the colder outcome, but at 4 days away there is plenty of time to fine tune this. Either way, a return to dry weather but more cold is likely early next week.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
OVERNIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Scattered light snow showers with spotty light additional accumulation. Lows 5-10 except 10-15 Cape Cod. Wind light variable.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Scattered light snow showers but an area of more numerous and locally moderate snow showers developing in Metro Boston to the North Shore late afternoon. Scattered coatings of snow but accumulations of 1-2 inches possible in the evening from Boston northward especially closer to the coast. Highs in the 20s. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Snow showers likely with additional accumulation of few inches in northeastern MA and southeastern NH. A few light snow showers possible elsewhere with little additional accumulation. Lows 10-15. Wind light N.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. Scattered snow showers. Highs 20-25. Wind NW increasing to 15-25 MPH.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 0. High 15.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Low 0. High 20.
SUNDAY: Cloudy. Snow likely except possible mix South Coast. Low 15. High 30.
MONDAY: Clearing. Low 15. High 25.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 25.

Mid Winter In Late Winter

3:45PM

SUMMARY…
The cold pattern even by mid Winter standards continues with no sign of letting go soon. Though the train of big storms seems to have subsided, it will continue to be an active weather pattern, with a fast-moving low pressure area passing south of New England Tuesday, delivering a light to moderate snowfall, an upper low and inverted trough bringing snow showers on Wednesday, and then another system over the weekend bringing the next chance of snow. In between, Thursday and Friday will be dry with very cold air from the Arctic.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Low -5 to 0 interior valleys, 0-5 elsewhere except 5-10 urban centers/coast. Wind W 5-15 MPH with higher gusts, diminishing to under 10 MPH and shifting to N.
TUESDAY: Cloudy. Snow with accumulation of a coating to 2 inches except 2-4 inches Cape Cod and portions of the immediate coast. Highs 20-25. Wind light N becoming NE.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Coastal snow showers possible. Lows 15-20. Wind light NE shifting to NW.
WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy. Occasional snow showers. Highs 20-25. Wind NW to N 10-20 MPH.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: Sunny. Lows -5 to +5. Highs 10-20.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Lows 10-20. Highs 20-30.
MONDAY: Partly sunny. Low 15. High 25.

The Week Ahead

5:37PM

SUMMARY…
A quick look at the weekend storm. Snow totals were higher than expected by me in portions of the region for both part 1 and part 2 of the storm. Both times these higher areas were portions of eastern MA and southeastern NH, also parts of RI as well for for part 1. Boston’s snow total of 16.2 inches for the latest storm brings their seasonal total to 95.7 inches so far moving it into 3nd place on the all time snowiest winters list. #2 is the 1992-1993 Winter with 96.3 inches but that is in close reach, and they are within 10 inches of the #1 snowiest Winter, 1995-1996 with 107.6 inches. With additional snow threats in the forecast, Boston has a very real chance of reaching #1 with the 2014-2015 Winter, after having only 5.5 inches through January 23! Incredible. Now onto the week upcoming. It’ll be an Arctic Monday, Presidents Day, with bright sun, gusty winds with blowing snow, and frigid air. Low pressure tracks out of the Southeast States and off the Atlantic Coast Tuesday bringing a shield of snow to the region. Light to moderate snow amounts are likely, with greater totals further southeast and less to the northwest. Additional snow showers are likely Wednesday as upper level low pressure slowly traverses the region. Another blast of Arctic air arrives Thursday and Friday before broad trough moves in and brings another snow threat for next weekend.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Blowing snow under a clear sky. Lows from -10 remote suburbs to +5 Cape Cod. Wind NW 15-30 MPH with higher gusts. Wind chill -10 to -25.
MONDAY – PRESIDENTS DAY: Sunny. Blowing snow. Highs 10-15. Wind W 15-30 MPH with higher gusts. Wind chill often 0 to -10.
MONDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows -5 to +5. Wind W 5-15 MPH. Wind chill -10 at times.
TUESDAY: Cloudy with snow likely by late morning on. Light to moderate snow accumulation possible. Highs around 20. Wind variable to NE 10-20 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 10. High 20.
THURSDAY: Sunny. Low 0. High 10.
FRIDAY: Sunny. Low -5. High 15.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Lows 10-15. Highs 20-25.

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