Weekend Snow?

We don't want to jinx it, but we just might see the return of snow this weekend and--longer term--colder temps and a more active storm to close out 2021.

But the next few days will not feel like winter. After a period of rain tonight (Wednesday), we're expected to hit 60 in most locations of Berkshire County on Thursday. Get outside and enjoy because it may be the last time we see 60 degrees until March.

[Before we talk about the upcoming snow, we did some internet sleuthing around--really, we just looked at a few posts from last year--and discovered that we had pretty brutal cold snap from Dec. 16-19 last year with highs in the teens and low 20s in that stretch. But it did warm up again after that, culminating with a 60-degree Christmas day last year. So, it is highly likely, given the overall warming trend happening on the entire planet, that 60-degree days in December are, unfortunately, here for good.]

Friday will still be mild (mid 40s) before the temps start to drop as a storm moves in from the east-southeast. Right now it looks like the track is favorable to drag in slightly colder air than had been expected. This means the precipitation on Saturday--starting in the afternoon--could start as snow, transition to a mix or rain (depending on your elevation), and then transition back to snow after midnight on Saturday. Both the Euro and North American models are showing 4-5 inches of snow for much of the Berkshires by midday on Sunday.

Euro model prediction (as of noon Sunday)

There is not, however, a lot of meteorological certainty about the track of the storm. If it jogs to the north at all, we'll see more rain. But if it does what the models think it's going to do, we could have tricky driving conditions for Saturday night's holiday parties and a shovel-able/plowable amount to deal with Sunday morning.

Even though it's a weekend snowfall, let's hope it happens if at the very least to enhance the holiday atmosphere.

As for future storms, there are some bigger changes afoot to sweep away the warm air we've been experiencing and to allow cold air to get a good foothold. Some of the longer term guidance is showing the possible ingredients for a conveyer belt of disturbances to impact us during the vacation week between Christmas and New Year's. 

We'll believe it when we see it, but more consistent wintry conditions should be upon us soon.