Alberta Clipper = Friday Delays?

We apologize for not posting immediately after the big bust of 2024 on Tuesday. What a massive letdown. It's rare to see the models so wildly misleading just 24 hours before the storm is supposed to hit. It definitely shakes our faith in the models. At least temporarily.

We know you will be skeptical given the Tuesday debacle, but it seems a few North County schools could have a delay on Friday. An Alberta Clipper is moving in from the northwest Thursday night and will leave a few inches of snow on the ground. There are many questions with this minor snow event: Will the snow last until the morning commute on Friday? Will road crews have enough time to clear the roads? Will Superintendents throw students a bone the day before vacation?

NWS Albany

The meteorological prediction is for snow to start around 6 PM (Thurs.) and end around 7 AM on Friday. North County could see 2-3 inches with more in the higher terrains (northeast mountain towns, especially). Farther south we'll see 1-2 inches.

Despite the performance of the models regarding the nor'easter early in the week, Alberta Clippers have less variability and are easier to predict. For example, according to NWS Albany, the high-end and low-end predictions for this storm are 3-4" on the high end and 1-2" inches on the low end. That's not that much different from what is currently being predicted.

A sneaky X-factor "exclusive" that you'll only find at GSD: High winds are expected with this clipper. That means more blowing snow, which will give the perception that it's snowing harder than it actually is. The blowing snow could tip the decision and give some students delays.

So, the districts that were supposed to be the big losers on Tuesday could be the winners on Friday. Mount Greylock, Hoosac Valley, and the mountain elementary schools as well as Stamford and Mount Anthony in Vermont could see delays. Down county we see diminishing chances for Pittsfield and Central Berkshires with even more remote chances for delays for Lenox, Lee, Southern Berkshire and Berkshire Hills.

This week's disappointing snow news is definitely lessened by the welcome week of vacation public schools have coming up. We'll take a few days off ourselves, but if any storms kicks up that could impact travel during the week, we'll share our thoughts.