Weekend Weathermaker

Despite the brutally cold mornings this week, Old Man Winter is still having a tough time getting a firm footing in the Berkshires for the start of 2016.

The forecast is still for a mess this weekend. Unfortunately--this is a word we're using far too frequently this winter--we'll see more rain than snow by the end of the weekend. Friday night into Saturday morning will give us our best chance of snow, but there's not a lot of moisture associated with this disturbance (a tenth of an inch) and it will change to rain by late morning. Expect sleet to mix in as well. We might see the roads coated with some form of ice and snow Saturday morning, and it's likely you will not even need your shovel to deal with it. Roads will be slippery, though, for those Saturday morning errands.

Another disturbance will move into the Berkshires on Sunday, but this one will be all rain. Make that lots of rain. One to two inches have been forecasted for Sunday. Sunday sounds like a great day to enjoy some playoff football or catch up on a movie you didn't get to over the holiday vacation. Outdoor activities will be miserable.

We're still hopeful about the possibility of a more substantial snow event for the middle of next week. With a blast of cold air moving in from Canada, we'll have the chance for a measurable snow on Tuesday or Wednesday. There's not a lot of confidence with this prediction--we're trying to give you something to latch on to--but an inch or two is not out of the realm of possibility.

Keep hope alive.