Happy 2016 ! With the new year comes a snowier pattern and it will come right away. Much of New Years Day and into the 2nd will feature snow flurries and the occasional heavier snow shower. The mountain should receive a fluffy few inches from all this, but a rather dynamic upper level impulse will bring the polar jet into play. Snow showers will become heavier and squallier on Sunday bringing 3-6 additional inches to the mountain before drier and colder air settles into the region Sunday night.
The quick burst of arctic chill has looked more impressive the last few days and will send readings toward the single numbers Monday morning and below zero by early morning Tuesday. If I am not mistaken, it would be the first sub-zero temps of the season. Temperatures will moderate over the course of the rest of the week but only modestly and no significant thaw is expected. It is expected to stay dry through Friday although the sub-tropical jet will not go dormant.
The last few days has been a rocky period for some of the medium range computer models. Cold weather mongers and snow lovers alike (such as myself) received a scare as a cycle of model runs weakened the upcoming cold pattern substantially. The trend was short lived however as models have recreated the consensus from a few days ago by establishing a solid negative AO / positive PNA combination beginning around January 9th and continuing through mid month. There has been an interesting story regarding the storm in Iceland that became so wound up, warm air was sucked deep into the Arctic region sending temperatures near the north pole toward the freezing mark. This is 50 degrees above average which is an incredible event so far as anomalous weather is concerned. The other interesting caveat was that the last time we saw a storm such as this was late December of 1986, also an El Nino year. Yes, Penn State football and NY Giants football both proceeded to win championships in the month that followed (this will assuredly not be duplicated) but the month was a fascinatingly stormy one, with a succession of winter storms that impacted the eastern seaboard. Warmth near the poles is certainly something that needs to happen to start moving the AO in a negative direction and such a storm has certainly resulted in that. Time will tell if this January turns into a similarly stormy one, but the pattern suggests it's possible.
As for storminess in 2016, it appears as if it may begin around the time of January 9th. If the ridge west/trough east pattern becomes too pronounced, some of the storminess could be suppressed. With the present strength of the El Nino, I doubt the pattern will become "arctic" but rather "stormy" including a few chances for big snow starting around the 9th but also continuing well beyond. We will try to provide some better detail on this in the coming days.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Still moving slowly in the right direction as we head toward 2016
Winter !!! Unfashionably late again but it has made an appearance as the entire state of Vermont has finally been whitened by a garden variety winter storm. A bit of fluff this coming New Years weekend should enhance some of the new found positive vibes. This update contains mostly good news but a little bad also the pattern is gradually moving toward a very optimal one with "gradual" being the key word.
The snow/sleet/ice foundation on the mountain will get a little wet at low elevations as temperatures sneak above the freezing mark on Wednesday and Thursday. The midweek weather system that had threatened to spread more wet weather into the region Wednesday night and Thursday will not completely come together. What we should see from that discombobulated storm is some elevation sensitive snow that might accumulate a few inches near the summits by early Thursday. Temperatures will drop to sub freezing levels New Years Day and Saturday with more flurries and snow showers. Best chance for some additional accumulating snow comes Saturday night into Sunday as an impulse drops straight out of Quebec. Snow squalls are likely in this time frame leading to a few inches of accumulation especially on the upper parts of the mountain. The impulse will also bring a brief shot of arctic chill to the region sending temperatures down to the single numbers Sunday night and Monday morning.
The little bit of bad news relates to the weather next week. Although from a big picture standpoint, we are evolving toward a colder and snowier pattern, we aren't there yet and don't as of yet, have the support of all the key teleconnection indices. Following our little burst of chill Sunday night into Monday, we will see more mild weather during the middle of the week. Perhaps not a major thaw but a few days where temperatures sneak back above the freezing mark. The mild weather will be brief but hopefully it doesn't culminate with any rainfall later next week. Unfortunately it's a possibility though models have yet to come to any real agreement on it.
Much better agreement exists regarding what follows beginning around the 8th or 9th of January. A pattern driven by several key teleconnection indices that will produce much colder and snowier weather for a large portion of eastern North America. The Arctic Oscillation will finally make the critical negative turn and will thus allow significant amounts of arctic air to move southward. The southern branch of the jet stream should also continue to undercut the large ridge in western North America, keeping the threat for big storms alive; in fact, there have been hints 1 or 2 during the last few cycles of model runs.
The snow/sleet/ice foundation on the mountain will get a little wet at low elevations as temperatures sneak above the freezing mark on Wednesday and Thursday. The midweek weather system that had threatened to spread more wet weather into the region Wednesday night and Thursday will not completely come together. What we should see from that discombobulated storm is some elevation sensitive snow that might accumulate a few inches near the summits by early Thursday. Temperatures will drop to sub freezing levels New Years Day and Saturday with more flurries and snow showers. Best chance for some additional accumulating snow comes Saturday night into Sunday as an impulse drops straight out of Quebec. Snow squalls are likely in this time frame leading to a few inches of accumulation especially on the upper parts of the mountain. The impulse will also bring a brief shot of arctic chill to the region sending temperatures down to the single numbers Sunday night and Monday morning.
The little bit of bad news relates to the weather next week. Although from a big picture standpoint, we are evolving toward a colder and snowier pattern, we aren't there yet and don't as of yet, have the support of all the key teleconnection indices. Following our little burst of chill Sunday night into Monday, we will see more mild weather during the middle of the week. Perhaps not a major thaw but a few days where temperatures sneak back above the freezing mark. The mild weather will be brief but hopefully it doesn't culminate with any rainfall later next week. Unfortunately it's a possibility though models have yet to come to any real agreement on it.
Much better agreement exists regarding what follows beginning around the 8th or 9th of January. A pattern driven by several key teleconnection indices that will produce much colder and snowier weather for a large portion of eastern North America. The Arctic Oscillation will finally make the critical negative turn and will thus allow significant amounts of arctic air to move southward. The southern branch of the jet stream should also continue to undercut the large ridge in western North America, keeping the threat for big storms alive; in fact, there have been hints 1 or 2 during the last few cycles of model runs.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Good foundation laying snow/sleet/ice event Tuesday then winter starts for real around New Years Day !
We've actually gotten through the worst of the warmth though it remains quite mild relative to average. The first in a series of three precipitation producing systems arrive Sunday morning and will bring rain and some areas of freezing rain to Vermont. This should all begin during the pre-dawn hours of the day. For the first time in what feels like forever, the snow/rain line with this system is actually within driving distance, setting itself not far from Montreal Sunday.
A refreshing looking side shot of arctic chill will then dry the region out Sunday night and send temperatures back toward 20 degrees by Monday morning and keeping readings in the 20's during the day. The high pressure center responsible for the cold will try and anchor itself in the Canadian Maritimes as a stronger system advances toward the region straight out of Texas. There is lots of moisture with this storm though it's a fairy garden variety event. The track is not ideal with the primary low passing through the central Great Lakes while a new coastal low tries to reinvigorate the storm off the New England coast. It's all adds up to a rather familiar New England winter storm story but we will take it. Snow should begin across the region sometime after midnight Tuesday and a few hours of moderate snow during the early morning should allow a few inches to cover the northern half of Vermont. Across the high country, we should see snow change to sleet and freezing rain during the midday hours and continue through the rest of the day. We saw a few models advertise an all snow event on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but the consensus of data has converged back toward this snow/sleet/ice scenario. A good foundation laying event but nothing epic.
A few relatively mild days will follow in the wake of Tuesday's system. Clouds should keep temperatures on the mountain in the 30's but below 3,000 feet should be mostly above freezing both Wednesday and Thursday. Lingering upper level energy in the midwest is going to try and take more subtropical moisture and churn up another storm. There has yet to be any real consensus regarding any of this except the lack of cold air. Whatever falls Thursday, rain, drizzle or just a shower or two will be the liquid form. I don't think whatever falls will be enough to eradicate the early week foundation.
Winter gradually establishes itself across the region New Years Day and this should begin an extended period of sub freezing temperatures. It's also a period where any precipitation that falls should be in the form of snow. Though there are no indications of big east coast storms, there are clipper systems that dot the weather map on all of the extended models. Furthermore, I am not a believer that the southern branch goes completely dormant. This is a giant El Nino year and both Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean moisture should be able to stay involved in the weather pattern somehow though the models aren't showing that as of the time of this update.
I can't advertise the coldest of weather patterns in January but enough to make it wintry. The American Ensemble members are suggesting a more aggressive turn by the AO index into negative territory while the European and Canadian Ensembles show a more modest move to just slightly negative. The MJO which continues to be worth watching this winter, will continue to move toward phases that teleconnect to much colder weather in eastern North America, ultimately landing right in the middle of phase 7 in early January. If nothing else, this should control the evil empire and keep the Pacific away from its menacing December self. Meanwhile, the dominant player should be a large ridge in western North America which will keep the PNA positive and keep temperatures mostly south of the freezing mark.
A refreshing looking side shot of arctic chill will then dry the region out Sunday night and send temperatures back toward 20 degrees by Monday morning and keeping readings in the 20's during the day. The high pressure center responsible for the cold will try and anchor itself in the Canadian Maritimes as a stronger system advances toward the region straight out of Texas. There is lots of moisture with this storm though it's a fairy garden variety event. The track is not ideal with the primary low passing through the central Great Lakes while a new coastal low tries to reinvigorate the storm off the New England coast. It's all adds up to a rather familiar New England winter storm story but we will take it. Snow should begin across the region sometime after midnight Tuesday and a few hours of moderate snow during the early morning should allow a few inches to cover the northern half of Vermont. Across the high country, we should see snow change to sleet and freezing rain during the midday hours and continue through the rest of the day. We saw a few models advertise an all snow event on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but the consensus of data has converged back toward this snow/sleet/ice scenario. A good foundation laying event but nothing epic.
A few relatively mild days will follow in the wake of Tuesday's system. Clouds should keep temperatures on the mountain in the 30's but below 3,000 feet should be mostly above freezing both Wednesday and Thursday. Lingering upper level energy in the midwest is going to try and take more subtropical moisture and churn up another storm. There has yet to be any real consensus regarding any of this except the lack of cold air. Whatever falls Thursday, rain, drizzle or just a shower or two will be the liquid form. I don't think whatever falls will be enough to eradicate the early week foundation.
Winter gradually establishes itself across the region New Years Day and this should begin an extended period of sub freezing temperatures. It's also a period where any precipitation that falls should be in the form of snow. Though there are no indications of big east coast storms, there are clipper systems that dot the weather map on all of the extended models. Furthermore, I am not a believer that the southern branch goes completely dormant. This is a giant El Nino year and both Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean moisture should be able to stay involved in the weather pattern somehow though the models aren't showing that as of the time of this update.
I can't advertise the coldest of weather patterns in January but enough to make it wintry. The American Ensemble members are suggesting a more aggressive turn by the AO index into negative territory while the European and Canadian Ensembles show a more modest move to just slightly negative. The MJO which continues to be worth watching this winter, will continue to move toward phases that teleconnect to much colder weather in eastern North America, ultimately landing right in the middle of phase 7 in early January. If nothing else, this should control the evil empire and keep the Pacific away from its menacing December self. Meanwhile, the dominant player should be a large ridge in western North America which will keep the PNA positive and keep temperatures mostly south of the freezing mark.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Some snow with next week's storm ? Maybe
More good news is visible through the rain drops and very warm air. The active weather pattern next week is still not associated with the best of weather patterns but we will have some arctic cold that will mix itself into the equation. Temperatures will gradually cool Christmas Day and into the 26th following an insanely warm Christmas Eve. Two weather systems will then impact the region with the first bringing its precipitation Saturday evening and the second stronger system Tuesday evening.
Both systems were discussed in the last update. The first looks a touch warmer and appears to primarily be a rain event though a few spots could see some freezing rain. A respectable looking shot of arctic cold comes in the side door Sunday evening and make for a wintry but dry Monday. The high pressure center responsible for the chill appears stronger every day and will thus be able to attain a firmer grip on interior New England before the arrival of this aforementioned second storm Tuesday the 29th. A couple of days ago this looked like a sleet/ice event but each cycle of model runs seem to offer a better and better chance for snow. As of right now, the event appears to be sleet/snow event which would lay a nice foundation to build on going into 2016. The situation has and will continue to evolve over the next few days but the best chance for an all snow event is across extreme northern Vermont and into Quebec which of course includes the likes of Jay Peak.
A day or two of above normal temperatures in the wake of this 2nd system will precede the arrival of a new and improved weather pattern to begin the new year. I want to highlight the fact that although we expect some continued improvements, the pattern does not appear overwhelmingly cold. The AO will level out but I don't expect the index to get seriously negative and the absence of blocking in the jet stream in the polar regions will make the transport of seriously cold arctic chill difficult. The pattern will be anchored by a weakened Pacific Jet and a western North America ridge. Jet energy will undercut this ridge and I am hoping this will help brew up 1 or 2 big east coast events during the first 10 days of January.
Both systems were discussed in the last update. The first looks a touch warmer and appears to primarily be a rain event though a few spots could see some freezing rain. A respectable looking shot of arctic cold comes in the side door Sunday evening and make for a wintry but dry Monday. The high pressure center responsible for the chill appears stronger every day and will thus be able to attain a firmer grip on interior New England before the arrival of this aforementioned second storm Tuesday the 29th. A couple of days ago this looked like a sleet/ice event but each cycle of model runs seem to offer a better and better chance for snow. As of right now, the event appears to be sleet/snow event which would lay a nice foundation to build on going into 2016. The situation has and will continue to evolve over the next few days but the best chance for an all snow event is across extreme northern Vermont and into Quebec which of course includes the likes of Jay Peak.
A day or two of above normal temperatures in the wake of this 2nd system will precede the arrival of a new and improved weather pattern to begin the new year. I want to highlight the fact that although we expect some continued improvements, the pattern does not appear overwhelmingly cold. The AO will level out but I don't expect the index to get seriously negative and the absence of blocking in the jet stream in the polar regions will make the transport of seriously cold arctic chill difficult. The pattern will be anchored by a weakened Pacific Jet and a western North America ridge. Jet energy will undercut this ridge and I am hoping this will help brew up 1 or 2 big east coast events during the first 10 days of January.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Our long awaited pattern change is finally in sight !!
Happy solstice (officially Tuesday Dec 22 this year). With the darkest day of the year comes brighter news. Though some incredibly persistent warmth will continue to cover eastern North America through the Christmas holiday, it should finally end around the New Year and winter will finally make an appearance. I don't expect a sustained period of extreme cold but with the AO leveling out and even going slightly negative combined with the disintegration of the evil empire in the Pacific, the snow should finally start to accumulate and we will move closer to an opening at MRG. There are even more encouraging signs within this new pattern that should serve the region well and that will get discussed a bit at the end.
In the meantime we still have to contend with the last 10 or so days of this near tropical weather pattern. After a bit of light rain Wednesday night, Vermont will enjoy what might very well the warmest Christmas Eve anyone of us will remember. Temps in the 60's, no snow on the ground and maybe even a thunderstorm to go along with the egg nog late in the evening (though that's probably a slim chance). Absolutely insane ! No point worrying about damage control with nothing to damage. With no base on the mountain, might as well enjoy the warmth rather than get insulted by it.
The Christmas to New Years stretch will not be quite as mild but nonetheless mostly unproductive. It will be an active stretch of weather with the first storm bringing rain and ice to the region Saturday night. As mentioned in the prior post, arctic air will make a rare December 2015 appearance as it presses southward against the large enveloping east ridge. Vermont will get a taste of this chill later Sunday into Monday the 28th as temperatures fall into the teens and remain mostly below freezing Monday. The cold will never attain a firm grip on the region and will be mostly scoured out of the region by the next, even stronger weather system on Tuesday the 29th. Though we might see some additional sleet or ice, we are unlikely to see any snow out of this system. 2015 will finish the year on the mild side with readings generally above freezing during the day and only a few degrees below freezing during the night.
With the new year comes a new pattern finally. Though not an overwhelmingly cold pattern, the playing field will be leveled if not tilted somewhat in our favor. Our biggest asset will be the development of a large ridge in the jet stream across western North America which will boost the PNA index well into positive territory. This will be the mechanism which should essentially keep temperatures below the freezing mark for an extended period of time after the new year. Without the overwhelming presence of the polar jet or a polar vortex, activity in the southern branch of the jet stream should also persist. This should keep the door very open for a big east coast storm and I expect at least one between the first and 10th of January 2016.
Enjoy the mild weather and don't let it damage your spirit. Better times are finally in sight.
In the meantime we still have to contend with the last 10 or so days of this near tropical weather pattern. After a bit of light rain Wednesday night, Vermont will enjoy what might very well the warmest Christmas Eve anyone of us will remember. Temps in the 60's, no snow on the ground and maybe even a thunderstorm to go along with the egg nog late in the evening (though that's probably a slim chance). Absolutely insane ! No point worrying about damage control with nothing to damage. With no base on the mountain, might as well enjoy the warmth rather than get insulted by it.
The Christmas to New Years stretch will not be quite as mild but nonetheless mostly unproductive. It will be an active stretch of weather with the first storm bringing rain and ice to the region Saturday night. As mentioned in the prior post, arctic air will make a rare December 2015 appearance as it presses southward against the large enveloping east ridge. Vermont will get a taste of this chill later Sunday into Monday the 28th as temperatures fall into the teens and remain mostly below freezing Monday. The cold will never attain a firm grip on the region and will be mostly scoured out of the region by the next, even stronger weather system on Tuesday the 29th. Though we might see some additional sleet or ice, we are unlikely to see any snow out of this system. 2015 will finish the year on the mild side with readings generally above freezing during the day and only a few degrees below freezing during the night.
With the new year comes a new pattern finally. Though not an overwhelmingly cold pattern, the playing field will be leveled if not tilted somewhat in our favor. Our biggest asset will be the development of a large ridge in the jet stream across western North America which will boost the PNA index well into positive territory. This will be the mechanism which should essentially keep temperatures below the freezing mark for an extended period of time after the new year. Without the overwhelming presence of the polar jet or a polar vortex, activity in the southern branch of the jet stream should also persist. This should keep the door very open for a big east coast storm and I expect at least one between the first and 10th of January 2016.
Enjoy the mild weather and don't let it damage your spirit. Better times are finally in sight.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
More signs that we will move from bad to less bad
More evidence both yesterday and today that this abomination might be closer to an end. There is no indication of an abrupt turn to sustained below normal temperatures, no suggestion of a big snow and certainly no Christmas miracle to save the holiday. It certainly doesn't look quite as bad way out there on the horizon. Increasing amounts of arctic air will cover North America over the next week and although it will have a difficult time reaching Vermont, some eventually should, even before the new year. After the New Year, there are signs of some fundamental changes in the Pacific with a partial breakdown of the evil empire. We will still be contending with a mostly positive AO but the battlefield will be a bit more level.
There are a few changes in the short term but nothing of real consequence for powderhounds. Any weekend snow will again be faced with several intrusions of mild air over the next week. Some light rain accompanies the initial push of mild air Monday. This is followed by a much stronger push of warmer air Christmas eve which is also accompanied by light rain With the exception of some areas around Lake Superior, no one east of the Mississippi River get a white Christmas; instead, most of New England will see temperatures in the 50's and even 60's (in southern New England) on the 24th and only slight cooler on the 25th.
After Christmas the playing field looks like this. A sharp boundary of temperatures marked by a stationary front will establish itself from somwhere from Texas to the northeast. A ton of mild air will grip much of the eastern seaboard but arctic air will begin pressing against the large upper air east coast ridge. Some of it will reach New England by the 27th or 28th. There is an organized storm system that will eventually materialize by the 28th and again will try and push mild air northward. With the east coast ridge weakened and with some minimal cold air available, the situation looks at least somewhat more interesting if not a little promising. It's basically one model out of every 5 indicating any real snow but that's certainly an improvement.
Beyond the New Year it appears as if the large mid-latitude dome of death we have been calling the evil empire will get beaten down. No evidence yet of any blocking anywhere near the arctic so I would describe the situation as a soft turn toward what should be a less adverse situation. The biggest asset might be the partial development of a positive PNA that includes a ridge in western North America.
There are a few changes in the short term but nothing of real consequence for powderhounds. Any weekend snow will again be faced with several intrusions of mild air over the next week. Some light rain accompanies the initial push of mild air Monday. This is followed by a much stronger push of warmer air Christmas eve which is also accompanied by light rain With the exception of some areas around Lake Superior, no one east of the Mississippi River get a white Christmas; instead, most of New England will see temperatures in the 50's and even 60's (in southern New England) on the 24th and only slight cooler on the 25th.
After Christmas the playing field looks like this. A sharp boundary of temperatures marked by a stationary front will establish itself from somwhere from Texas to the northeast. A ton of mild air will grip much of the eastern seaboard but arctic air will begin pressing against the large upper air east coast ridge. Some of it will reach New England by the 27th or 28th. There is an organized storm system that will eventually materialize by the 28th and again will try and push mild air northward. With the east coast ridge weakened and with some minimal cold air available, the situation looks at least somewhat more interesting if not a little promising. It's basically one model out of every 5 indicating any real snow but that's certainly an improvement.
Beyond the New Year it appears as if the large mid-latitude dome of death we have been calling the evil empire will get beaten down. No evidence yet of any blocking anywhere near the arctic so I would describe the situation as a soft turn toward what should be a less adverse situation. The biggest asset might be the partial development of a positive PNA that includes a ridge in western North America.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
I have no new found love for this years holiday weather but beyond that maybe
I don't have any new found optimism for the holiday period I am sorry to say. I can however begin to hang my hat on the Madden-Julian Oscillation or MJO so lets do that together before the warm weather further irritates our holiday cheer. Without getting into intricate details, the MJO phases define various cyclical periods of convective activity over the Indian Ocean and lower latitudes of the Pacific Ocean. To put it as plainly as possible, such convective activity has the capability of re-dealing the cards in the Pacific Ocean. Over the last 6 weeks, we have been stuck in Phase 3 and 4 which is generally a warm phase for eastern North America since it correlates quite directly to a strong Pacific Evil Empire. Over the next two weeks however we will shift to phase 5 and subsequently into phase 6. Phase 5 is still very warm and Phase 6 is less warm. Further extrapolation would take us toward phase 7 after the New Year however. If the aforementioned convective activity reaches this phase, the deadly ridge in the Pacific would get broken and the jet stream loosened. Though there are no glaring signs of this yet, I am tentatively going to expect a pattern change between January 5th-10th and this is one reason why.
In the short term we have an another all rain event arriving Thursday evening. The wet weather clears by Friday and temperatures begin a slow and very temporary descent toward normal (though they probably fail to get there). On Saturday, it will actually feel like December, somewhat anyway. Models are actually predicting a few decent streamers off the lakes (geek speak for snow squalls) and if the mountain is positioned under one of them for a bit, we could see several inches of snow. Perfectly reasonable to expect a few inches across the high country but it won't be the kind of snow with any staying power.
Any snow is out by later Sunday and the mild air is back by later Monday. There are a few weaker weather systems that will pass during the early part of the week. The first Monday could provide some mixed precipitation though not a lot later Monday. The 2nd during the middle of the week is probably mostly rain. Another big push of warmth follows for the Christmas holiday bringing another round of much above normal temperatures. Ensemble data is pretty clearly indicating that the mild air will continue to dominate at varying intensities until at least the New Year. There have been a few teases from operational model runs advertising a bit more excitement but this is only a little short of praying for a miracle.
In the short term we have an another all rain event arriving Thursday evening. The wet weather clears by Friday and temperatures begin a slow and very temporary descent toward normal (though they probably fail to get there). On Saturday, it will actually feel like December, somewhat anyway. Models are actually predicting a few decent streamers off the lakes (geek speak for snow squalls) and if the mountain is positioned under one of them for a bit, we could see several inches of snow. Perfectly reasonable to expect a few inches across the high country but it won't be the kind of snow with any staying power.
Any snow is out by later Sunday and the mild air is back by later Monday. There are a few weaker weather systems that will pass during the early part of the week. The first Monday could provide some mixed precipitation though not a lot later Monday. The 2nd during the middle of the week is probably mostly rain. Another big push of warmth follows for the Christmas holiday bringing another round of much above normal temperatures. Ensemble data is pretty clearly indicating that the mild air will continue to dominate at varying intensities until at least the New Year. There have been a few teases from operational model runs advertising a bit more excitement but this is only a little short of praying for a miracle.
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