A little bit of everything across the nation today
Yesterday I was thinking that steadier showers may try to make their way into southern New England tomorrow, but that does not look like the case (which is good news, right?). Northern New England may even hold on to some filtered sunshine through the day on Friday, while central and southern New England stay mostly cloudy.
My current thinking is that some patchy light rain and drizzle will develop on Friday night and early Saturday in southern New England. Steadier rainfall will move in during the afternoon and evening from southwest to northeast, reaching as far north as southern VT and NH. The heaviest rain arrives overnight Saturday and Sunday morning, falling the hardest south of the MA Pike. I’m still thinking rainfall totals will generally run between 1-2 inches for much of New England (lesser amounts in the North Country). A persistent onshore flow will continue through the weekend, gusting at times over 40 mph at the shore.
The storm will pass south and east of Nantucket on Monday. Counter-clockwise flow around this area of low pressure means that a north-northeast wind will wrap colder air down from eastern Canada into New England. In turn, we could be dealing with rain AND snow showers early Monday, although little if any snow should accumulate.
Random side note: 4 of my friends from my grad school days down at Florida State are visiting Beantown for the first time this weekend (2 coming from Texas, 2 from Florida)! I told them they should have come last weekend because the weather was perfect! Oh well, we’ll just need to have the umbrella handy while we tour the city. 
Will update you tomorrow on any changes. Have a great Thursday!
You’ll need those shades again today because the sun just won’t stop shining (and I’m ok with that)! We’re going on Day 5 of beautiful weather here in New England, but this trend won’t last too much longer, so enjoy it while it lasts. Take a look at the forecast diagram for Concord, NH above…notice the daily sunshine duration row…ZERO sun forecast for Friday through Monday. Check out other cities by heading to weather.us. Tomorrow will start off with sunshine, but clouds will increase throughout the day in advance of the next storm. Thursday night could feature a few light showers and areas of drizzle, but there is enough dry air in place across the region that the bulk of the moisture will hold off until the weekend.
Southern and central New England will get into steadier rain on Friday and Saturday, while northern New England stays mostly dry. Bands of heavier rain will organize on Saturday night, eventually spreading into northern New England. An east wind may increase to gale force overnight on Saturday too, bringing the potential for some minor coastal flooding. Periodic rain will continue on Sunday, possibly mixing with snow in the mountains of Maine, and tapering to showers in southern and central New England.
By the end of the weekend, we could be looking at widespread rainfall totals between 1 to 3 inches. Combine that with a melting snow pack across the northern interior and flooding of our streams and rivers becomes a concern…certainly something to monitor over the coming few days.
On Monday, colder air will wrap around the backside of the storm allowing off and on rain showers to change to snow showers possibly as far south as the higher elevations of southern New England. The entire storm shifts east on Tuesday, meaning sunshine returns along with temperatures around 50!
Keep you posted on the weekend…have a great day!
What a gorgeous stretch of weather we’ve had across New England over the past several days! Temperatures yesterday soared well into the 50s and lower 60s. Portland, ME broke their previous record high of 54° (1995) reaching 56° and Bangor, ME tied their previous record of 52° (1995).
Today will be slightly cooler in the wake of a weak cold front passage overnight, but highs will still come into the 50s in southern New England, 40s central and 30s in the North Country. This cold front also brought in a reinforcing shot of dry air, and in turn, sunshine will be the rule once again this afternoon.
Wednesday will be a few degrees cooler along the coastline as a weak sea breeze develops during the afternoon. By Thursday, clouds will be on the increase, although aside from a few showers late in the day, we should remain dry. The steadier rain will hold off until after dark.
More rain and potentially some mountain snow is forecast for Friday and the weekend as a slow moving storm currently over the nation’s midsection will head towards New England, eventually moving east of the region by the beginning of next week. This could even mean some snow showers in the higher elevations of southern New England by Monday. We’ll have to watch this system closely and fine tune the details in the days to come, but for now, plan on unsettled weather Friday through Monday.
So enjoy today!
Crystal Blue Skies over Mount Washington, NH this Friday afternoon
Ok, maybe not the shorts, although I’m hoping to play some pick up bball on Saturday, so we’ll see.
A few clouds will dot the sky on Sunday, especially in northern New England, where we may see a sprinkle or flurry along the Canadian border. Temperatures will once again rise well into the 40s and lower 50s, so enjoy!
A cold front will cross the region on Monday with little fanfare, but what it will do is knock the temperatures back down to seasonable levels on Tuesday. And that’s where they’ll remain through the end of next week. Otherwise, a relatively quiet weather pattern will persist with no major storms on the horizon.
Have a great weekend!
…and meteorological spring began on Monday (although the vernal equinox and official start to spring is still 16 days away). While there may still be some snow in the future for New England, climatological records for the winter are kept for the months of December, January and February. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Taunton, MA has compiled this weather information in a Public Information Statement for several cities in southern New England. Do you keep your own snowfall records? If so, feel free to share your information in the comment section below this blog post.
| Location | Boston, MA | Dec/Jan/Feb (2009-2010) |
| Average Temperature | 32.0° | +0.1° (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 10.16″ | -0.79″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 35.4″ | +4.1″ (Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 10″ | December 20th |
| Highest Temperature | 69° | December 3rd |
| Lowest Temperature | 6° | January 30th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | ENE @ 47 mph | February 25th |
| Peak Wind Gust | E @ 60 mph | February 25th |
| Location | Providence, RI | Dec/Jan/Feb (2009-2010) |
| Average Temperature | 31.7° | +0.6° (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 13.99″ | +2.03″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 30.9″ | +5.7″ (Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 14.3″ | December 20th |
| Highest Temperature | 66° | December 3rd |
| Lowest Temperature | 6° | January 30th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | SSW @ 44 mph | December 3th |
| Peak Wind Gust | SSW @ 56 mph | December 3rd |
| Location | Hartford/Windsor Locks, CT | Dec/Jan/Feb (2009-2010) |
| Average Temperature | 29.6° | +1.2° (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 12.11″ | +1.71″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 30.6″ | -3.3″(Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 6.0″ | December 9th |
| Highest Temperature | 67° | December 3rd |
| Lowest Temperature | 1° | January 30th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | W @ 38 mph | January 29th |
| Peak Wind Gust | W @ 52 mph | January 29th |
| Location | Worcester, MA | Dec/Jan/Feb (2009-2010) |
| Average Temperature | 26.6° | +0.4 (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 12.74″ | +1.77″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 58.4″ | +17.2″ (Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 7.7″ | February 24th |
| Highest Temperature | 63° | December 3rd |
| Lowest Temperature | 0° | January 30th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | WNW @ 41 mph | December 29th |
| Peak Wind Gust | WNW @ 56 mph | December 29th |
Good Monday morning everybody! I hope you had a chance to enjoy the weather this weekend, because the overall pattern here in the Northeast will turn very unsettled starting tomorrow, lasting through this weekend. For Ski Country and all you snow lovers, get pumped – we could be talking about 2 to 3 FEET of snow across the mountains over the next week! And for those of you who may be getting a little sick of Old Man Winter, the official start to spring is only 26 days away…and we have mild sunshine to enjoy today!
Forecasting through this upcoming period is going to be very tricky though and at this point, it’s hard to be completely confident in how the weather is going to pan out over the next several days. So let’s start out with what we do know…
In the days ahead, a massive blocking pattern will evolve over the northeast United States. Essentially what this means is that a big upper level low is going to stall off our coastline, bringing unsettled weather to New England for an extended amount of time. The position of the upper level low will play a pivotal role in determining the magnitude and duration of each separate storm.
The first storm will impact New England’s weather tomorrow and Wednesday. Expect light snow to break out tomorrow morning, where a thin coating to an inch is possible outside of 495 especially by tomorrow’s morning commute. The precip will become steadier through the afternoon and evening with the heaviest expected to fall overnight Tuesday through midday Wednesday.
Snow will turn to rain along our southern New England coastlines, but continue as snow across the high terrain of the interior. I’d say we’re looking 1-3 sloppy inches across the interior of southern and central New England by Wednesday morning (outside of 495), with 3″-6″+ inches when you come back from the Berkshires and Green Mountains to the high terrain of north-central MA, southwest NH and the White Mountains.
Keep in mind that this is just one chunk of energy/moisture…more is on the way…
Another storm will develop in the Atlantic and get pulled into New England on Thursday night/Friday. The potential exists for another round significant snowfall, even in southern New England, along with flooding concerns as a persistent wind off the ocean combined with astronomically high tides piles up water at our coastlines.
Be prepared for some changes as the week wears on, and a lot of shorter updates on the blog as we nail down the details over the coming few days.
Ice Jam along the Winooski River in Vermont (taken yesterday by Derek Maroot)
Elsewhere across the region today, mostly sunny skies are the rule, with the exception of much of Vermont, northern NH and northern ME where the clouds win out, along with a few snow flurries too. Temperatures will rise into the lower 30s in the North Country to the lower 40s in far southern New England. And while some people consider this seasonable “warmth” a good thing, I can sympathize that this is not exactly welcome news for skiers, snowmobilers and the business’ that depend on them. Cold air is on the way to New England though, and will be ushered in by snow showers and squalls tomorrow afternoon and evening.
Expect any sunshine to quickly fade behind increasing clouds tomorrow as an arctic front approaches from the west. Snow showers and squalls will develop from west to east during the afternoon and evening. They will be scattered in nature, but pack quite the punch as they come on through. Bursts of snow will coat the roadways, making for a slick commute tomorrow evening, with some locations picking up a quick inch or two. You’ll want to clear the snow fairly quickly before the deep freeze moves in late tomorrow night as temperatures plummet into the single digits and teens. Friday can be summed up in two words: windy and cold. It will feel like it’s below zero at the warmest time of the day in the north, and in the single digits south, so bundle up!
The weekend is looking bright, but the cold is here to stay. Highs will generally be in the 20s. We’ll keep a close eye on the potential for some light snow especially at the south coast of New England on Saturday as a storm passes well to our south, but right now it looks like it will slide harmlessly out to sea.
That’s all for now! Have a fabulous day and if you can, head out to our NECN Celebrate the Gift of Life Blood Drive! It’s all happening today and our goal is to raise 2010 pints of blood! Matt Noyes is at the Dedham, MA donation center and will be there all afternoon, so stop on by and say hello! For all the details click HERE!
Before we start talking about the warm up that’s on the way for Monday, let’s dive into the forecast details for tonight and tomorrow, which are pretty straightforward. Any leftover clouds from a storm that passed to our south today will fizzle away tonight as dry air works into the region courtesy of high pressure building in from Canada. Winds will be fairly light, with the exception of the Cape & Islands where gusts up to 35 mph are possible. Tomorrow, bright blue skies will be the rule! It’s going to be a fantastic day to get out and partake in any winter sports, or just plain enjoy the winter sunshine. You will have to bundle up though, as temperatures will be seasonable, but chilly nonetheless. Expect highs in the 20s in the North Country (teens on the mountain summits) to the 30s in southern New England. We may start off with sunshine on Sunday morning, but clouds will thicken from west to east throughout the afternoon…
Our attention will then turn to the next significant weather maker, a storm whose center will pass to the west of New England. This means we are on the warm side of the system, and in turn, will be dealing with a rain event for the six state region. There may be a brief period of sleet, freezing rain, or a touch of snow at the onset, particularly in our valleys of western and northern New England late Sunday before a quick changeover to plain rain.
The bulk of the rain waits until after midnight to push into New England from west to east, falling heavily at times through the morning commute on Monday. There may even be a rumble of thunder or two during the early morning hours as a cold front slides on through. Rain totals of 1″-2″ are likely, with locally higher amounts. This will lead to some urban and street flooding, and even some small streams and rivers to come out of their banks. At the same time, warm, moist flow will stream in from the south, allowing temperatures to rise into the 50s in southern New England, 40s central and north. Damaging wind will also be a concern, primarily in southeastern New England where gusts could exceed 40 mph.
The storm winds down from west to east during the afternoon on Monday, with a few pockets of sunshine possible by days end. Above average temperatures will linger right into Tuesday, before colder air starts to work back into the picture. A few weak pieces of energy will rotate through the northeast during the middle part of next week bringing the chance of a few rain/snow showers, but nothing too substantial by the way it looks right now. There are indications of a potential storm next Friday which would usher in a bitter cold airmass in its wake for next weekend…but that’s a ways off.
So let’s take it one weekend at a time…enjoy this one!
The weather has been relatively quiet here in New England over the past couple of days (and the forecast is still in line – check previous blogs for details) so I thought that some of you might like to check out the preliminary report of the 2009 Annual Climate Summary that has been released by the National Weather Service (NWS) branch in Taunton, MA. The following data and full report from the NWS can be accessed through the NWS State Data Page by clicking on Public Information. The following tables highlight some of the major weather points of 2009 for Boston, Worcester, Providence (T.F. Green Airport), and Hartford/Windsor Locks, CT.
| Location | Boston, MA | 2009 |
| Average Temperature | 50.8° | -0.8° (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 43.74″ | +1.21″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 55.9″ | +14.1″ (Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 10″ | December 20th |
| Highest Temperature | 95° | August 18th |
| Lowest Temperature | 6° | January 1st & 16th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | East @ 39 mph | December 9th |
| Peak Wind Gust | West-northwest @ 51 mph | November 28th & December 31st |
| Location | Providence, RI | 2009 |
| Average Temperature | 50.7° | -0.4° (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 54.86″ | +1.21″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 52.1″ | +19.2″ (Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 14.3″ | December 20th |
| Highest Temperature | 94° | August 18th |
| Lowest Temperature | 1° | January 25th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | South-southwest @ 44 mph | December 3th |
| Peak Wind Gust | South-southwest @ 56 mph | December 3rd |
| Location | Hartford/Windsor Locks, CT | 2009 |
| Average Temperature | 49.8° | -0.4° (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 48.29″ | +2.13″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 37.6″ | -8.4″(Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 7.9″ | March 2nd |
| Highest Temperature | 94° | April 28th & August 17th |
| Lowest Temperature | -3° | January 16th & 17th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | Northwest @ 37 mph | November 28th & December 29th |
| Peak Wind Gust | Northwest @ 46 mph | Jan. 14th, Oct. 7th, Nov. 28th, Dec. 29th |
| Location | Worcester, MA | 2009 |
| Average Temperature | 47.2° | 0.0 (Departure) |
| Precipitation Total | 50.09″ | +1.04″ (Departure) |
| Snowfall Total | 68.6″ | +7.8″ (Departure) |
| Highest Daily Snowfall | 9.3″ | March 2nd |
| Highest Temperature | 89° | April 28th & August 18th |
| Lowest Temperature | -2° | January 17th |
| Highest 2 Minute Sustained Wind Speed | West-northwest @ 41 mph | December 29th |
| Peak Wind Gust | West-northwest 56 mph | December 29rd |
Notice that Worcester’s average temperature this year was normal, matching exactly to the climatological mean over the past 30 years. For Providence, Boston and Hartford, we were about 0.5 degrees cooler than the 1971-2000 30 year normal. Providence also had it’s seventh wettest year on record. Do you have your own climate records you’d like to share? Post it in the comment section of the blog below!
This past weekend’s storm was like the energizer bunny – it just kept going and going! And what an amazing storm it was. There are a couple interesting features I’d like to point out, but honestly, I could go on and on, so I’ll just name a few. First off, I couldn’t believe how effective the northwest wind was at drying out the valley’s or “shadow zones” in northern New England. With bands of snowfall pinwheeling in from east to west, I thought this moisture would be able to offset the downsloping, but apparently not! I mean, who would have guessed that Bridgton, Maine would have one of the lowest snowfall totals in all of New England? Or that Bridgeport, CT would get more than Conway, NH? Amazing.
And let’s not forget about the record snowfall across the Champlain Valley…
Burlington, VT saw record daily snowfall on Saturday and Sunday, with a record storm total of 33.1″!
| Amount of Snow | Dates | Year |
| 33.1″ | January 2-3 | 2010 |
| 29.8″ | December 25-28 | 1969 |
| 25.7″ | February 14-15 | 2007 |
| 24.7″ | January 13-14 | 1934 |
| 22.9″ | March 5-6 | 2001 |
- Table Above: Top 5 Burlington, VT Snowstorms
To check out some of the other snowfall totals and storm information from this past weekend, check out the National Weather Service state data page. Click on your state, followed by Public Information to see the latest reports.
Now, on to this weeks forecast. It’s a relatively quiet one, so expect mostly dry weather with the exception of some mountain snow showers and flurries. Our temperatures will fluctuate somewhat over the next couple of days, cooler tomorrow, a few degrees warmer Wednesday, colder Thursday, and coldest on Friday.
As far as the late week storm potential, we’re watching a disturbance currently dropping out of western Canada that will slide through the central US over the next few days and eventually off the Mid Atlantic coastline by Thursday. With deep low pressure still stalled in the Canadian Maritimes and the jet stream positioned to our south, chances are slim for a direct hit. More than likely the system will slide harmlessly out to sea without much fanfare. But regardless of the storm’s track, another bitterly cold airmass will follow in its wake making for a very chilly weekend.
Keep you posted throughout the week!
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