No School for Monday?

We have an interesting development to report on that could impact the length of the school day on Monday. Unfortunately, it is not weather-related.

Due to a delay in rapid tests getting to teachers in some parts of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Teachers Association is calling for the cancellation of classes on Monday to allow more time for Covid testing. Some schools in eastern Mass have already issued delays and cancellations for Monday. Newburyport, Lexington, and Watertown have either cancelled school or shortened the school day.

So, this weekend students and parents should be on the lookout for communication from their schools with any updates about a change to the schedule for Monday. Even though it's not really in our lane, we will post any news about delays and cancellations for our area if those come about.

You're On Vacation--What's The Weather Going To Be?

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Christmas Day was pretty dreary--the second rainy Christmas in a row for the Berkshires--and the hoped-for transition to snow on the back end of the storm--once again--did not materialize.

So far this winter has been a dud. The models have been giving us some hope with some of these storms, but except for the Thanksgiving weekend surprise 5 inches and a couple of inches on December 9th, this winter is stuck in first gear.

So...what's it going to do this week? Will it snow? Will it be cold? Are there any storms on the horizon?

Monday -- Decent day. Chilly by our standards this winter with the high temp unlikely to get above freezing. Possible inch of snow after midnight.

Tuesday -- Warmer. Back up to the low 40s, setting up a rainy Tuesday night with some sleet possibly mixing in for higher elevation towns.

Wednesday -- A rainy start but overall a grey day. Low 40s.

Thursday -- Hey, something new. Some breaks of sun. But temps still up into the low 40s.

Friday -- See Thursday.

Saturday/Sunday -- Now we're talking. Some models are showing a snow storm, maybe even a legitimate one. If it snows, we're looking at 3-5" on Sunday afternoon and night. (The North American model is the only one showing this storm; the Euro prognostication is for merely a dusting. But we'll be monitoring it all week).

Once again we are pinning are snow hopes on a storm that is a week away. Eventually the models have to get one of these storms right.

White Christmas?

For those who had school or work today, congratulations! You made to the start of another vacation. We need to celebrate small victories this year.

Now that snow days and delays are out of the equation for the next week and a half, let's focus on the chance for weekend snow.

Tonight, there's a very light clipper streaming across New York that should impact western Massachusetts later this evening. It's not going to be much, but we could see an inch or so in some spots. So, yes, we should see snow on the ground in most locations in the Berkshires by Friday morning.

We were hoping we'd pick up another inch or so late Friday night, but now the Saturday storm looks like a wet mess. Currently, it looks like we'll start with a wintry mix then change over to rain in the morning and continue through the afternoon. The Grinch-y rain will likely wipe out any snow on the ground. In the evening, then, is when we have some intriguing certainty. 

Some models, the North American in particular, is showing coastal intensification, which could change the rain back to snow. The Adirondacks and parts of Vermont should see snow on the back end of this storm, but the snow line could drop much further south and into the Berkshires. We are definitely not getting our hopes up at the GSD Home Office, but we could see a sneaky 2-3 inches by Sunday midday.

The North American model with an aggressive prediction for back end snow by Sunday afternoon. This map is not to be trusted.

Overall, there are still no major storms out there on the horizon. We'll certainly let you know when we spot one in the meteorological crystal ball.