Deck the Halls

Today it felt more like it’s time to “deck the halls” in preparation for the holidays ahead.  My theory is, the earlier you put up the decorations – the longer you have to enjoy them!  Plus, with the sun going down so early these days (4:14pm today), it helps to have the glow of twinkle lights to make spirits bright.  :c)

Highs today were up near 50, but those temps were recorded around midnight – when the clock ticked over from yesterday into today.  Throughout the day, temps have been falling very slowly and the chilly breeze added an extra bite to the feel of the outdoors.  It’s a chilly overnight – almost so chilly you may even think it could snow at any moment.  In fact, some of us could see some flakes tonight with a quick moving disturbance (very “clipper-like”) diving in from NW to SE.  Again, it’s QUICK… so any snow showers or flurries won’t sit over any given area for too long.  But there could be some light accumulations, especially on grassy surfaces/patio furniture, in S. New Hampshire and up into the Lakes Region.  A few flurries could make it as far south as the Mass Pike, but none of that looks likely to “stick.”

Tomorrow the chilly breeze is back and temps should be very similar to what we experienced this afternoon (highs 41-47°).  Mostly sunny skies stay with us through the start of this week, with more seasonable temps in store for Tuesday.  On Wednesday we’ll get another boost into the 50s, but much like yesterday’s mild day, it’s fleeting.  We’re back to the mid 40s come Thursday.

Last night I mentioned that we need to watch this next weekend very closely for a potential coastal system.  I hope I emphasized that it’s still several days away – and the forecast could change… because it did.  Today’s model runs look a little more optimistic!  We’ll still watch this time frame closely, but for now it looks to be a much faster round of rain on Friday, followed by a dry but windy weekend.  As always, we’ll keep you posted.

By the way, I’m sure you’ve been keeping up with all of the “upcoming winter forecasts.”  Maybe you’ve caught on by now that this is a very tricky winter to pin down details for.  Of course, the farther out a forecast goes (long range), the more likely it is to be wrong – Which is why I personally prefer to stick to the short range (next 3-5 days, remember what happened before with the mention of the end of the week).  With that said though, there is a major benefit to looking at atmospheric patterns to give us a hint of what might be on the way.  There have been many clues lately hinting toward a pattern flip in the middle of December to colder and more stormy days.  Does that mean there will be a “white Christmas?”  Still yet to be seen, obviously – details are nil and void when it comes to the long range – but it’s a possibility.  If this does end up being the case, it would be a very different “holiday season” than the last few winters when we’ve had to wait for our “big snows” to start until after the New Year.  Maybe just prepare ahead of time and get those shovels ready… and maybe don’t wait for Santa to bring one to you.

Have a great week!  – Breezy