Hot Start To 2021...(and by "hot" we mean "snowy")

Happy last day of 2020! Of course everything is going to magically return to normal at midnight tonight. 2021 is going to be the best!

We actually have good news on the snow front. Our somewhat dour prediction yesterday has brightened. We could see up to 6 inches of new snow for parts of the Berkshires by noon on Monday.

Friday's expected snow

The Friday night storm is minor, but there will be a period of all snow at its onset. Snow should start around 9 PM (south to north) and then change over to sleet and freezing rain by the morning. What is not clear is the timing of the changeover, which will impact how much snow piles up. NWS Albany is expecting 1-2 inches in South County where the changeover will occur sooner, and 2-3 inches in North County. Freezing rain and drizzle could extend to noon on Saturday.

We'll get a break from frozen precipitation for about 30 hours and then a coastal storm--a secondary low--will form and bring more snow to our area. The European model continues to show significant snowfall for the Berkshires--see below--while the North American model is now indicating some accumulation for the Berkshires but only 1-3 inches. 

We'll probably see these models meet in the middle somewhere, which means 3-5 inches by late morning Monday, with east-facing slopes in higher elevations getting the highest amounts. Cross country skiing should be able to resume on Monday.

A very assertive prediction from the European model for Sunday

Have a safe New Year's Eve celebration, and we'll have an update on both storms at some point on Friday morning.