No, it's not spring yet (what were you thinking?)

So for all you folks who are merrily going along imagining that spring is on the horizon and winter a thing of the past, think again! This may be one winter advisory you really need to heed, precisely because it’s possibly the last thing you’re anticipating. Yes, you heard that right. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for our area overnight tonight, from 2AM-10Am on Friday. Expect snow accumulations of up to 1 inch, followed by sleet and freezing rain. Timing of this mixed bag of messiness will definitely impact the morning commute. And after the snow, we are forecast to get 2-4 inches of rain Saturday night into Monday morning (maybe even some snow on Sunday night). So, sure, 50 degree days are around the corner, but winter isn’t giving up yet.

But does it feel like spring?

Hard though it is to believe, this is, in fact, the first day of Spring! It arrives officially in less than 2 hours (12:57 EST). And regardless of what this graphic depicts (however true it may feel), the forecast over the next few weeks is showing quite a few days with temps in the 50s. And before you know it, we'll all be complaining about the heat. I think. Well, pretty sure . . . um . . . keep your fingers crossed, anyway.

It didn't exactly help to wake up this morning to a dusting of snow, capped by a thin layer of ice over everything. It's 38 degrees out now, though, so at least the ice has melted. And is that a ray of sun I see trying to break through the clouds?

Do not kill the messenger - and you thought we had snow?!!

Do not kill the messenger, please! Although the shift in weather from yesterday (blissed out, sunny spring day) to tomorrow (we are now under a Winter Weather Advisory) may have you cursing at your computer right about now, just remind yourself that we live in New England - if you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes. In the meantime, while you are rocking in place and chanting “change is gonna come,” here are the details:

The current Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 10 pm this evening to noon on Thursday for most of Massachusetts and Rhode Island except for the immediate south coast. Also northern Connecticut. Conditions will begin to deteriorate this afternoon as rain overspreads the region from west to east, but the main concern is for a flash freeze between 10 pm and 4 am, as colder air rushes into the region, temperatures plummet into the teens and lower 20s, and roads quickly freeze over. A brief period of sleet and freezing rain is possible during the transition, followed by snow accumulations of 1-2” in most locations, and 2-4” north of Route 2. Light snow accumulations may hide some of the ice, and the Thursday morning commute may be icy. It will also be bitterly cold on Thursday, with strong winds (10-20 mph) with gusts up to 45 mph. Snow showers will continue Thursday morning before tapering off during the afternoon. Milder weather, with temps in the high 40s, returns on Friday and Saturday before another bout of colder air arrives on Sunday. It will be near perfect maple sugaring temperatures (above freezing during the day and below freezing at night) for all of next week. Look for another possible storm around this time next week.

And, finally, just to put things in perspective, below is a scene from yesterday in Nederland, Colorado (and you thought we had snow?!). Daniel Vardamis, long-distance, occasional contributor to Head in the Clouds Amherst, shared this pic of Elaine and Stella (the dog) navigating the snow near their home. (And trust me, Stella is in no way suffering - she loves it!) To read more about their daily adventures, visit Dan and Elaine's blog, MountainNomads.

 

Elaina and Stella (the dog) traverse the snow, 3/11/2014
Photo by Dan Vardamis (Nederland, CO) - see Mountain Nomads for more

 

 

 

Deer on a frosty morning

Deer Passage, 3/7/2014 - North Amherst, MA
Photo by S. Vardatira (I had no camera on me, and time for a cell phone pic only)

Stepped out onto my back porch this morning into what has become the new normal around here - a frigid, frozen landscape (it was 6:15 am and 1°F outside). I followed our cat's intense gaze to my right, and there, about 20 feet away, were two deer, motionless statues almost hidden in the trees. The closest deer turned her head and stared right at me. After a minute, they resumed their slow course, stepping ever so gingerly over the crusty, crunching surface.