Wind Chill Warning and Winter Storm Watch

 You know about the dangerous cold coming tonight and the Winter Chill Warning for our area with sub -30 temps tomorrow morning.

But the bigger weather news is that meteorologists are giving many indicators that a major snow storm will take place late on Sunday night and through much of the day on Monday. There is a still a chance that a nose of warm air could work its way into the Berkshire County and change the snow to rain Monday afternoon, but the snow damage will be done at that point with 6+ inches on the ground.

A promising early map from NWS Albany.

Right now a Winter Storm Watch is in effect. Given the trends and the forecast models, it's highly likely that the Watch will become a warning between 6 AM and 12 PM tomorrow.

GSD Staffers are confident that 8+ inches will fall in the Berkshires, with higher elevations (especially eastern hill towns) seeing over a foot. If Monday were not a holiday, we would see all schools in Berkshire County going with a snow day due to the excellent timing and long duration.

Still a strong signal from the Euro model. 

Get out the high snow boots and find the extra shovel. And the good news is the cold air will be in place for a few weeks, so the snow won't be going anywhere even if we see the changeover to rain.

MLK Jr. Weekend Update

Just a few notes today as we gird for a very wintery weekend.

NWS Albany has called for a Wind Chill Warning for Friday night and Saturday morning. Usually, we get the Advisory, but the Warning means business. 

Here's an idea: don't go outside between 10 PM and 9 AM, if you can avoid it. Between 5 PM and 10 PM, the temperature is expected to drop 15 degrees. We'll be below zero after midnight and the winds will kick up wind chill values between -20 and -35 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Freezy Friday and a Snowy Monday (We Hope)

Tomorrow will be fairly spring-like--low 40s and breaks of sun--but it's all down hill after that. Friday will be seasonable, but the temperature will begin to plummet and the winds are going to kick up something wicked, as they say over in the east.

Friday night and Saturday morning will be most unpleasant. Positive single digits Friday night will become negative single digits (-2 to -5) by daybreak. And the wind will be absolutely howling, with some gusts up to 35 mph. If you go outside Saturday morning, don't expose any skin and limit how long you stay outside. And keep an eye on any pets and how they're managing the cold.

Guidance from NWS Albany regarding the wind chills.

Saturday will be bone-chilling--probably slightly colder than the big freeze day on Tuesday--and Saturday night won't be a picnic, either. 

Sunday night is when things get very interesting on the snow front. Yes, it's disappointing that Monday is a holiday for almost all schools in the county, but snow beggars can not be snow choosers.

The big variable is the track of the storm. Usually we worry about storms going out to sea. For this one, the concern may be that the storm tracks too far to our west. If the low pressure system hugs the coast and we stay on the west side of the storm center, we'll get pounded with heavy snow. If we end up on the east side, we'll start out as snow but then warm air will race in and change over to rain.

Accuweather is on board with the coast-hugging low pressure system.

The models this evening seem to be tilting slightly toward the coast-hugging track, which is the news we want to hear. We're not going to go ga-ga over this storm just yet--A) its on a holiday and B) we're still four days out--but it certainly is promising.

More to come.