Good day to you, in this winter wonderland in which you find yourself.
Winter has arrived, as mentioned in previous columns, and while we will dip into the deep freeze for a couple of days, we will moderate over the weekend to more seasonable levels.
However, we will have at least two more snow chances on Friday and again on Monday, so our active northern stream pattern continues. Let's get to the details!
For Wednesday, it is going to be blustery for sure. As our storm drags its cold front through the region and departs to the northeast, west and northwest winds are going to blow strongly at times, with some wind gusts over 40 mph possible.
In addition, some scattered snow showers and even a snow squall will be possible. Some of these will be due to an orographic effect (i.e., cool moist air that rises up mountains, condenses, and snows), and others will be from the lake effect.
Highs will be in the low 20s, and lows in the upper single digits to low teens above zero. Wind chill readings could even dip below zero Wednesday night, thanks to continued west winds gusting over 30 mph.
For Thursday, Arctic air will be sweeping and seeping through the region, with highs in the low 20s and lows in the single digits. At least the winds will be down a bit, and skies should be mostly sunny during the day.
For Friday, we have to watch two storm systems. One will be another Alberta Clipper system that will dive southeast through the Great Lakes and move through southern New England. The second system will be emanating from the south, and will carry more moisture and energy with it.
Should these two phase, we could be talking about a significant coastal snowstorm that would affect southern Vermont. But for now, it appears the Clipper system will cause some light snow accumulations here, and not much else. Highs will be in the low to mid 20s and lows in the teens.
For the weekend, we will moderate a bit with highs near 30 degrees on Saturday, and in the low to mid 30s on Sunday, with generally fair conditions.
Clouds will increase late on Sunday in advance of yet another Clipper system that could bring more snow to the region early next week. Have a great week!