EAST HARDWICK – Almost every day of the past forecast period featured some form of light snow, with moderate to heavy bursts-and those amounts added up over the week. Snowfall totals ranged from nine inches to a foot, with just under an inch of snow liquid equivalent.
photo by Dawn Gustafson
Total snowpack depth by Sunday ranged from 10 to 16 inches, with the accumulating snow well-preserved by overnight lows close to zero degrees and highs getting into the 20s.
A pattern change is expected as we start out this forecast period, with multiple disturbances developing along an airmass boundary that will lift north of the region, putting us in the warm sector. Expect some periods of above-freezing conditions, especially with the strongest wave. That wave will move north and east from the Mississippi River Valley Thursday and into our region Thursday night and Friday. Precipitation will be mainly in the form of rain, with possibly a thunderstorm on Friday morning as precipitation turns back to snow showers with brief snow squalls. This period will also feature windy conditions, with some gusts as high as 35 mph in the north-south valleys Thursday night, and the west-facing hills on Friday.
Overnight temperatures on Thursday will be in the upper 30s, with rising temperatures overnight. Expect a flash freeze as temperatures plummet Friday afternoon, potentially making for difficult travel on icy roads.
Unsettled weather continues into the weekend, although any additional precipitation appears to be snow. A brief break in cloud cover will occur Saturday. Highs during the weekend will generally be in the 20s and lows in the single digits to teens. Hopefully some of that snowpack hangs on for folks who are just starting to get outdoors to enjoy it. Here are the forecast details:
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Isolated snow showers. High: 34. Low: 14. Southwest wind 5-10 mph, becoming west.
Thursday: Partly sunny, becoming cloudy. Rain. High: 40. Low: 35 early, with temperature rising overnight. Southwest wind 10-15 mph, becoming south and increasing to 15-20 mph with gusts to 35 mph by evening.
Friday: Cloudy. Rain with a chance of thunderstorms or snow squalls in the morning, becoming scattered snow showers in the afternoon. High: 44, with temperature falling throughout the day. Low: 5. Wind southwest 15-20 mph, becoming northwest and decreasing to 10-15 mph by afternoon.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High: 22. Low: 17. Variable wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Scattered snow showers. High: 28. Low: 8. West wind 5-10 mph.
