Northern Vermont continues to be a great looking spot for snow over the next few days and maybe the weekend

The mountain got pleasantly surprised with a few inches of Champlain powder on a January Sunday and this pushes the seasonal snowfall total pretty close to the 100-inch mark. I don't think we'll have any trouble surpassing that mark over the next few days as northern Vermont continues to look like a favored geographical location for snowfall thanks to a decent looking weather situation even as much of the eastern United States experiences relatively mild weather for January.

MRG has started the week on the chilly side and will actually end the week on the chilly side as well. Starting Monday evening however, some of this very mild air which encompasses locations to our south and west will make a hard push toward New England and will do so on the wings of a fast moving but weakening Pacific impulse. Moisture will accompany this weather system and will fall in the form of some snow Monday night over northern Vermont, yielding about 2-4 inches by Tuesday morning.

Beyond Monday evening,  the weather picture has evolved somewhat since our last update and has also gained a bit of clarity which includes both some good news and some not as good news for the Tuesday/Wednesday time frame. The not such good news involves the push of mild air which is likely to gain a small foothold in southern and central Vermont by later Tuesday. Temperatures at MRG will start the day near 20 but end the day closer to 30 while for the most part, significant snow isn't falling. By Tuesday evening, temperatures in a few spots may eclipse the freezing mark and when precipitation begins again, it may recommence as a wintry-mix rather than the powdery good stuff. The good news however is that the stronger milder push is related to a stronger second Pacific impulse which is now forecast to be the focus for a strengthening area of low pressure that is expected to cross the southern or central part of the state Tuesday night and early Wednesday. Though temperatures/precipitation will be a little tenuous for a time Tuesday evening, readings will fall slightly by Wednesday morning and accumulating snow will have begun with at least a few inches by first tracks time Wednesday and several more during the day. This storm will be sensitive to elevation, especially the snow type and also quite sensitive to latitude. Southern Vermont will see much more limited amounts of snow and elevated areas north of MRG have a chance to see as much as 20 inches. For Mad River Glen I see a 3-day total of 10-20 inches which includes the 2-4 Monday evening, and more continuous snow late Tuesday night through early Thursday.

Though the weather pattern in an overall sense doesn't favor widespread cold across North America, it will allow for an isolated outbreak of winter chill this weekend for the northeast, a welcomed change from what the outlook hinting at a week or so ago. Cold air will descend into the region as Thursday progresses and make for a chilly Friday and Saturday with temperatures well below zero at night and single numbers during the day Friday and near 10 Saturday. Sunday's temperatures will also be chilly but weather prognosticators are more concerned with a southern streamer which may evolve into a east coast snow producer, maybe even a significant one. Lots of different scenarios remain in play for this storm and this includes an inland hit and more snow for us hounds but also more of a coastal hit and maybe even no hit at all.

The cold air is expected to moderate as next week progresses and temperatures are likely to be back above average by the middle of the week. That said, much of interior New England will avoid some of the excessive warmth that will dominate a large expanse of the middle of the country and we are lucky, we could even score a little more snow. The longer range indications show a build-up of arctic cold in Canada later this month in response to some better blocking in the arctic. This would begin around the time of January 20th, until then however there remains a risk for a thaw even if we do largely escape the ravages of the mild weather next week.

Next 7 days look pretty golden however so enjoy them !!