[MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES IN SOME HIGH TERRAIN AREAS OF THE BERKSHIRES, WESTERN HILLTOWNS, SOUTHERN VT, AS WELL AS EASTERN CHESHIRE COUNTY AND PARTS OF NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY… IF YOU LIVE IN EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU’RE SEEING SNOW THIS MORNING… OTHERWISE, A SOAKING RAINFALL CONTINUES FOR THE REST OF WMASS, CMASS AND NORTHERN CT… PRECIP QUITS BY NOON OR SO, OR AT LEAST GOES TO SOME ISOLATES RAIN SHOWERS WITH TEMPS RISING INTO THE LOW 40S… GOT SNOW THIS MORNING? 7:10AM SAT]

Good morning everybody, I have seen reports of high terrain wind gusts in the northern Berkshires and southern VT of 30-40mph. I have also observed that it’s snowing in Guilford, VT, Chester, MA, Pittsfield, MA and North Adams, MA, and it appears to be snowing moderately to heavily in other western hilltowns (especially above 1000 or 1500 feet in elevation) as well as in southern VT.

In fact, after midnight, North Adams had a report of thundersnow! I failed to mention last night that thunder was a low possibility. EMass just had another report of thunder.

This all points to a solidly developing secondary low pressure system, now positioned south of eastern Long Island, and forecast to run right up through Worcester County as mentioned yesterday.

This storm’s development is being supported by a strong jet stream aloft, and is also aligning with a strong low level jet streak blowing out of the southeast and ramming moist flow up and into the Berkshires, western hill towns and southern VT. A literal conveyor belt of copious moisture and precipitation is the result, and with plenty of lift in northwest MA and southern VT reaching up into the colder atmosphere aloft where the best snow growth/production region is, moderate to heavy snow is expected in those higher elevation areas through 10am or so.

Attached is an image from a Mesoscale Discussion posted earlier this morning regarding the northeast Berkshires, western Franklin County and southern VT (see the “cloud bubble” for the region of concern for heavy snow).

If you are seeing snow, please let me know, and how much you have received, as well as how heavy or light it is.

Ratios of liquid precipitation to snowfall (where it has been snowing) have been very low this morning, due to temps being very close to freezing (or a little above).

SNOW AMOUNTS
Snow accumulations on mostly non-paved surfaces are expected to be a coating to 2″ in the low elevations of the Berkshires, Taconics, southwestern Bennington County VT, northern Litchfields in CT, western hilltowns, the highlands of eastern Franklin County, western Cheshire County NH and northern Worcester County below 1000 feet (with some areas just getting some slush and/or mostly rain).

2-4″ appears more likely between 1000-1500 feet with up to 6″ possible in isolated spots, especially above 1500 feet in those aforementioned areas, including eastern Windham County in SVT and eastern Cheshire County in SWNH.

I still believe if the snow produces the way it looks like it will over the next 3-4 hours, that we could see 6-12″ in southern VT west of Brattleboro in western Windham County above 1500 feet, and eastern and northern Bennington County at those elevations, with a little less in lower elevations.

You all will let me know how it shakes out!

POWER OUTAGES
We already have 1500 without power in Berkshire County and over 4000 without power in Windham County VT.

RAINFALL
We have received a third to an inch of rainfall already in the rest of the region, and we should end up with 1-2″, maybe a touch more in a few spots.

Rain and snow quits by noon, and trucks north of here with the surface low, though a few showers are possible in the afternoon with highs in the low to mid 40s.

The upper low creeps east into New England overnight and lake effect and upslope snow showers develop over the high terrain in CT, MA, eastern NY and VT west of I-91 with additional light accumulations in the high terrain (coatings to 2″ or so, with a few areas in the southern Greens seeing an additional 2-5″ by Sunday noon).

Lows will dip into the upper 20s tonight and west winds will gust 25-40mph by tomorrow, which will blustery with highs in the low to mid 30s.

I will post a report later getting us through next week, which looks seasonably cold with a few waves of light snowfall possible Sunday night into Monday, Tuesday night into Wednesday, and again Thursday night into Friday.

Please post your reports below, thanks!