Change is in the Air

The last week has been eerily quiet, but some not insignificant changes are about to hit the Berkshires. Unfortunately, not all of these changes are good ones for us snowhounds.

Let's break down the short and long of it:

1. Friday AM: The disturbance for Thursday/Friday that we talked about earlier in the week is still on target. Sixty hours away from the event, it looks like a Friday morning start with some snow but a quick turnover to rain. Alas, another missed opportunity. The length of the snow portion of this storm depends on how much snow (on the ground) sticks around for the next few days and how warm it gets during Wednesday and Thursday. With snow pack in place, the ground air will be cold enough for snow. With grass showing, there may be no snow at all. Keep rooting for the snow on the ground to stay as long as possible. When it rains on Friday, it could rain all day, up to a quarter of an inch.

2. Sunday/Monday/Tuesday: The models aren't in alignment so no meteorologist has a clue what's going to happen during this stretch of time just yet. There's storm energy out there, but we'll see if it can get its act together. Any way you slice it, it looks pretty warm for the first half of next week (mid 40s on Monday but dropping from there). The best we can hope for is a period of icing for the morning commute Monday or Tuesday, but the GSD Staff is not endorsing this scenario with much energy. Yay.

If Accuweather's made a map for it, then you know it's a big deal. Meteorologically speaking, of course.

3.Wednesday/Thursday: The big cold front will be THE weather news for next week. As the cold front moves into our region, we will likely see a period of snow. It won't be a big event, but at least it will be snow. Then Old Man Winter digs his heels in for a while, and the big fella ain't goin' nowhere, as one might say. Highs in the teens starting Friday the 18th, and it just might stay that cold for two weeks.

The GSD Crystal Ball sees an active back half of the month of January. As the great Walt Frazier might say, "Things will be heatin' up as they're freezin' up!"