Promising Start to 2019

Happy New Year, winter weather fans. Maybe--just maybe--we are coming out of this winter funk we've been in, as there are indications of two chances for snow in the upcoming week. One is minor and one could be much more significant.

Hardly a ringing endorsement from NWS Albany for much snow tomorrow night.

First, we have a Winter Weather Advisory for tomorrow night, which is not good for New Year's Eve revelers or those First Night celebrations. This event looks minor and will affect Northern Berkshire County more than South County. We could see up to 3 inches, especially in higher altitudes, between 7 PM and midnight tomorrow night. This minor storm could miss us completely but it's worth keeping an eye on it.

But the bigger and better news is a possible Thursday/Friday storm. Current runs of the models are all over the place with the timing and the type of precipitation, but the European model (our more consistent and reliable model, typically) is indicating a period of moderate snow on Friday. The North American model has the storm starting on Thursday night, which would be much more preferable if we are hoping for a three-day weekend. It too is predicting a moderate snow storm.

We definitely are intrigued by what we are hearing about Friday, and the GSD Staff will put all of its resources to study it this week.

Even if there isn't wintery mix of sleet and snow tomorrow night, drive safely if you're out and about ringing in the New Year.

Christmas Eve Snow

As grim as it has been this month for snow, we might get a small consolation prize on Monday with a little Christmas Eve snow. Few things are better to get us in the holiday spirit.

It would be perfect if this snow were to fall on Monday night, but, alas, it looks like it will fall during the midday hours. Beggars shall not be choosers.

We should see snow in the Berkshires before 10 AM. As the source of this snow is an Alberta Clipper, the snow will be light. It might pick up for a time again in the late afternoon or early evening hours Monday, but the grand total for this storm should not exceed 3 inches.

Our prediction is that come Tuesday morning, it will indeed be a white Christmas in the Berkshires.

Happy holidays, everyone. Thank you for following and reading and supporting Greylock Snow Day.

Cold Streak Continues...

A few schools in New York have delays, as do a couple in Springfield, but no districts have called in delays in Berkshire County. Roads are wet but clear of snow and sleet at GSD Headquarters.

It looks like another lean week without any major storms. Our potential storm for Friday looks like a rain event but we'll continue to monitor it.

Snow For Sunday Night; Chance for Delays Monday Has Increased

For most of Berkshire County, the forecast for sleet did not come through during the day (which isn't a bad thing), but we are pleased to announce that we are still on track for 2-3 inches of snow tonight. The snowfall prediction has risen slightly due to the last run of the models, and most locations in the Berkshires should see 3 inches or just under.

The center of the storm has now moved off the coast of Long Island and is moving toward Cape Cod, and we're finally starting to see the traditional counter-clockwise rotation of precipitation over us as the storm strengthens over the water.

There is a ton of moisture to our south as of 6 PM Sunday, but that moisture is having trouble penetrating the air over Berkshire County. Eventually it will and that's when we'll get snow. Expect snow to start to come down steadily after 8 PM.

Be alert to delays tomorrow, especially those on the east side of Berkshire County. If we do see delays, Adams/Cheshire, Central Berkshire, and Farmington River RSD will be the likely candidates for delays.

We'll run our list tomorrow early AM should the snow keep falling well past midnight.

Winter Weather Advisory: Sunday, Dec. 16

After a spring-like temps today, a cold front is approaching and will shepherd in frozen precipitation.

Our best guesstimate for the start of this storm is between 8 and 9 AM south to north in Berkshire County. Roads could be slick throughout the day especially if sleet falls throughout the day, which is expected. Temps will eventually drop below freezing, and we will see the sleet change to all snow in the afternoon. Some parts of Berkshire County could get 3" of snow, but most will see 1-2".

There's not a lot of juice in this storm, so we'll hold off on any predictions about delays on Monday as they will likely not happen. We'll definitely monitor the situation throughout the day tomorrow if things start to change in our favor.

More to come tomorrow! It's good to be back.

El Nino Blues: A Very Scroogy Forecast

It certainly has been a while since we've checked in with our faithful flake followers. We apologize for not updating you, but as you have witnessed, there just hasn't been much to report around here. And the forecast is not encouraging for the rest of the month. A White Christmas this year is highly unlikely.

After a blockbuster November, we have seen little precipitation in December. A few dustings here and there have filled the chilly Berkshire air, but it's pretty much been boring winter fare for the last few weeks. Temps are around normal this week (high 20s), but they will warm up to the low 40s for the weekend before returning back to the mid-30s next week.

We may get a few snow showers tomorrow afternoon, but it should be dry through the weekend. We may see drizzle overnight on Friday, but the air should be warm enough to avoid icing conditions. And then midday Monday we may see more prolonged snow showers. But with the warm air in place, snow on Monday will likely melt on the roadways before it can accumulate.

At this time we do not see any major storms in the pipeline for New England for the next few weeks.

Here is a very general forecast map for the temperature in the continental US from December 20 to December 26:

It shows that this warm-ish December pattern is likely to continue. Even if it does snow at some point next week, it will be the slushy, wet kind of snow that will have a tough time accumulating on the roads. We are not fond of this map at all.

We'll let you know if the Monday mild disturbance shows any signs of life, but we're going to have to get used to the reality that the next snow day will not occur until January, 2019.

Snow and Sleet Tonight (Dec. 1)

Hello, Flake Followers. Please be alert to the potential for snow and sleet this evening in the Berkshires, especially in higher elevation towns.

The NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory--our third this week--due to the potential for about an inch of snow and coating of ice. It starts at 10 PM Saturday and ends at noon on Sunday.

We don't think this minor system will amount to much, but those of you who have to travel in the early morning tomorrow should be aware of this Winter Weather Advisory.

As for the rest of December, we've seen guidance from weather experts we trust that conditions will be stormy. Disruptions in the Polar Vortex could yield a stormy December. Obviously, we like what those folks are saying, and we're keeping a keen eye on the potential for several December snow storms.