Hurry Up & Wait

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Nice quiet day. Breezes were light, the sun at times hampered by clouds, the temperatures seasonable.

Fine by me....as I gaze at the weather maps and what may be unfolding late Sunday through (possibly) Thursday.

The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last. -Willy Wonka

For snow lovers, the anticipation is probably gnawing away at you. You're looking at a change in the pattern; potentially the first major storm of the season; and all of it coming during the holiday season. There's lots that COULD happen, but right now, nothing is definitive. The short range is a slam dunk, while the extended range remains befuddling.

And while timing issues may become a little clearer in the next day or two, the rain/snow line may take up until we're on the brink of the storm(s). This time of year, without a snowpack and with the recent spat of above normal temperatures, marginal temperatures can wreak havoc with a snow forecast.

Suffice it to say that the first go-round from Sunday afternoon through Monday will have LIGHT precipitation. (Which also favors more wet than white. Heavy precipitation can manufacture its own cold air.) The second storm is bigger, colder, and will be a LONG duration event. Some of the weather maps we use have it going from Tuesday through Thursday! While I think that may be a stretch, it certainly means SEVERAL inches of snow is possible.

But I'm really getting ahead of myself on this. Enjoy the p & q in the next couple of days, and we'll let the details fall into place.

Pete

Come On Ride The Train

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Heavy rain is on the move! All afternoon long it was stalled over Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Heavy pulses of rain traveled over the same towns and cities - a process meteorologists call "training" - resulting in flash flooding in some counties to our west.

Saved by The Sea Breeze

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Although my forecast was busted today, there was one good thing that came out of it.

Stability.

That gray overcast that hung over the eastern half of the Commonwealth provided a stablizing influence to our atmosphere. The cool air blowing in from the ocean kept the temperatures in the upper 50s and low 60s all the way back to Metrowest. While that makes for lousy short-and-t-shirt weather, it is poison to thunderstorms.

Storms, Heat, Sea Breezes

Posted by Pete Bouchard

What a day! Breakneck temperature swings, thunder, tornadoes in Western Mass....and we're still in late May!

Summ-ah!

Posted by Pete Bouchard

With the snap of the fingers we were thrown into summer this afternoon. Heat, humidity, A/C and shorts - with a hazy sun to boot. But with the sea breeze knocking back the temperatures (and bringing in a round of downpours this evening), there are changes afoot.