Storm Alert

Happy New Year, snow hounds!

With a new year, we have a new and exciting opportunity for snow, which we want to put it on your radar. We could see a moderate/heavy snow storm next weekend.

The potential for this storm will generate a lot of hype in the media because it's the first big one of the season and it could impact the Philly, NYC, and Boston metropolitan areas.

You need to resist the temptation to get too excited for this storm. We can't stress that enough. For one, we're seven days away from the predicted dumping of snow. And two, the snow will fall on the weekend, which is just so predictable for this really disappointing snow season. And why not play the reverse psychology game? If we all downplay it, then there's a chance we will pleasantly surprised next Sunday.

The reason that the snow hype machine will be cranked up to maximum NSPMs (news stories per minute) is--you know this if you are a frequent reader--the recent runs of the European and North American models. Yesterday they were more apart in their forecast, but today they are more in sync.

European model for next Sunday night.

North American model, slight later time frame.

Currently, the forecast is for 7-11 inches for the Berkshires. If the models can continue to stay in sync, then our chances for a moderate snow event next Sunday will continue to stay high. One trend to watch is a southerly shift in the snow (which is what the North American model was suggesting yesterday). If it does push south, we'll only see 2-4 inches in our areas.

Again, try not to fall prey to the hype. These models will change over the next five days. The storm could easily drift south. But let's keep an eye on it.