Though three tornadoes touched down in Northern New England on Saturday – one in each Northern State – the twisters in Craftsbury, Vermont, Gorham, New Hampshire, and South Paris to Oxford, Maine, were all the product of one “supercell” thunderstorm.

Though tornadoes in New England aren’t common, we do average 2-3 tornadoes per year in each New England state, and they typically occur in this very fashion – the result of one, long-lived, rotating thunderstorm. Such was the case this time around. I was able to grab some of our weekend radar imagery, and dedicated viewer John F. Donaldson, of the IBEW, captured some amazing video while the storm was over Gorham. The result? A fun and comprehensive review of the thunderstorm that caused so much damage as it skipped a vortex over a long path.

While the clean up continues in many places from this past weekend’s storm, it’s hard to deny the feeling of spring in the air! For this, our last day of winter, we’ll enjoy bright sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures. It may be a close call in some spots, but we’re thinking Burlington, Montpelier, and Bennington, VT – Keene, Concord, Manchester and Lebanon, NH – as well as Hartford, CT will break climate records for high temperatures this afternoon.

Expect the mercury to rise to either side of 70 degrees across the interior, while the immediate coastline stays cooler courtesy of a sea breeze. Northern Maine will be the only other exception, where a backdoor cold front keeps the cooler air (40s and 50s) in place.

Tomorrow, a stronger west wind will penetrate all the way to the water’s edge, allowing the warmth to do the same. At the same time, a cool front will slip through northern New England keeping temperatures there in the 50s. In any case, mostly sunny skies will prevail – what a way to kick off Spring (which starts at officially 1:32 PM by the way)!

On Sunday, the chance of showers comes into northern New England as the front shifts a little farther south and stalls near the MA/NH border. A northeast wind coming off 40 degree ocean water means temperatures will be noticeably cooler, especially along the coast. Interior southern New England will still manage to top out in the 60s.

Meanwhile, the latest forecast trend has been to slow down the next storm system expected to impact us during the beginning of next week. Monday will feature temperatures in the 50s with periodic showers that will become steadier overnight. The best chance of heavy rain will be on Tuesday, with the possibility of some flooding all over again. Sunshine and seasonable weather returns for the middle part of next week with unsettled conditions by week’s end.

Have a fantastic Spring weekend!

I’ve decided that tonight is the night to commence grilling outside again! Maybe some BBQ chicken, potato wedges and veggies for dinner? I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! It’s hard not to think about the fact that the official start to spring is only 2 days away considering that afternoon highs will be in the 60s yet again today for the majority of New England (with the exception of the outer Cape/Islands and far northern New England who will run in the 50s). I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that I thought the first 70 degree reading of the year would be on Saturday, but it could actually happen sooner than that… like today!

A modestly strong westerly wind should keep the chilly ocean breezes at bay allowing the warm temperatures to reach all the way to our coastlines. I bet our own Tim Kelley could tell us the last time we reached 70 degrees here at NECN. I’m going to guess one of those really warm days back in the beginning of November. I’ll be watching the observations carefully today and will tweet if anyone reaches that magical number.

Meanwhile, the length of our days has grown to just over 12 hours with sunset right before 7 PM and we’re gaining approximately 3 more minutes of sunlight with each passing day. That’s great news because the sun will be shining for most of us these next few days. It also means great spring conditions for skiing, and I’m going to try and get out there one more time this weekend. Skies will become mostly cloudy in northern New England on Sunday though, with the chance of a few showers late in the day. Rain and wind moves in for all of us on Monday as a cold front slices through New England bringing cooler temperatures into the Northeast on Tuesday.

Enjoy this beautiful stretch of weather and have a great Thursday!