As the storm rages offshore, I’m still trying to mentally catalog what happened over the last several hours. The storm “initiated rapid cyclogenesis” (deepened quickly in weather terms), created an eye, became the most intense storm on the planet at this current time, and rivaled the top storms of recent memory across New England, The Maritime Provinces and the North Atlantic.
Whatever you call it: arctic hurricane, wintercane, hurricane force nor’easter, it was clearly a defining moment in weather. As a meteorologist, we may only see a few of these in our lifetime. That we came away virtually unscathed in Greater Boston and Worcester is remarkable – and somewhat lucky. With researchers warning that more of these could be coming in the years ahead, it’s just a matter of time before one of these hits the bigger metropolitan cities of the northeast.
As of late, the winds have been ramping down. Not necessarily quitting, but better than they were at the storm’s closest pass around noon. Gusts will continue to come from the northwest at 20-40 through this evening. Needless to say, this storm will not go quietly into the night.
Onward and upward with spring, right? Well, it’s a tougher row to hoe than I first thought. We’ll bounce back well by the end of the week, flirting with 60s, but the weekend is souring with clouds, onshore winds and raw rain. This is a great time to refresh our spring checklist.
- Onshore winds will knock down the temperatures by 15-20 degrees along the immediate coast.
- Southwest winds will keep the Capes and Islands/Buzzard Bay chilly throughout the early spring
- Sun is on our side. When it’s out, the temperatures can soar (with a favorable wind from the west)
After a one more frigid night tonight, that’s it for winter. Let’s see how the spring unfolds.
Pete