Good morning folks, our first major snowstorm in years is organizing to our southwest and headed this way. It’s already snowing overhead, but will take into the mid to late morning to saturate the air from surface to sky to allow snow to reach the ground, which it should before noon (or by noon, at the latest).

Our primary storm will push out of the South and through the Ohio Valley, weakening near the border of PA and WV, and then transfer energy to off of the NJ/DE coastline to form a secondary low which will track south of Nantucket tonight.

It is so cold out right now, mostly in the single digits below zero along and north of route 2, and single digits above zero south of there. Highs will only reach the upper single digits to teens today (maybe low 20s by tonight in northern CT), with similar lows tonight.

This means that when steady snow arrives by mid-day or early afternoon and picks up quickly, it’s going to stick immediately, and travel will go downhill quickly due to slippery conditions as well as lowered visibility.

The heaviest snow period still looks roughly to be 3-10pm today when it likely snows 1-3”/hour, and maybe even up to 4”/hour this evening in the Berkshires, western hilltowns, southern Greens, far northern Litchfield County CT and the Worcester hills back into the eastern Franklin County highlands when the heaviest band moves through the region.

East-northeasterly winds (due to strong high pressure positioned northeast of Maine) will produce breezy gusts of 15mph up to 25mph at times in much of our area, but the Worcester Highlands and especially eastern Berkshires, western hillitowns and southern Greens could gust 30-40mph causing blizzard conditions, with a potential for pockets of whiteout conditions.

Sleet may also mix into parts of northern CT this evening, which could cut down snow totals there, but regardless, a major winter storm is on the way.

A dry slot punches through the region by midnight, which will cut off the heavy snow and lead to flurries, scattered light snow showers or even some freezing drizzle during the pre-dawn hours.

By Monday morning, periods of light snow will develop as temps come up into the mid teens to mid 20s, and we may see a final wave work through mid afternoon to early evening, so additional light accumulations are expected Monday (coating to maybe 2-3”).

Snow amounts should be 12-20” widespread for much of the region, with 10-16” in western Bennington County due to downsloping winds off of the southern Greens, as well as any areas in northern CT that do see sleet for a time.

18-24” is expected in the Berkshires, western hilltowns, southern Greens, Worcester county hills, far northern Litchfield County CT and the eastern Franklin County highlands above 1000 feet.

In fact, in those areas if the heavy snow bands that set up slow down or become stationary which is possible, some areas could spike to 24-28”+.

Northerly winds will pick up behind the storm Monday night and plunge our wind chills down to -5º to -15º below zero so Tuesday morning will very cold with massive, fresh snowpack on the ground.

The rest of the week looks fair, dry and cold with snow going nowhere, and highs in the mid teens to mid 20s and lows in the single digits.

Well, that’s it, the storm is coming and should have a fast onset. I will at least update again by early afternoon and then again this evening after the Patriots game (with a quick update probably during half time) when the height of the storm is expected to transpire.

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”
― Joseph Campbell