Merry Christmas weather folks! A fantastic time of year indeed! At least we saw some festive flakes on Friday across NJ, Hudson Valley, Long Island on up to CT and MA from a dusting to an inch or 2. Aside from last weekend’s modest snowfall in Southern New England, not much to speak about, so far. Patience, its still late December, and plenty of time as we head into the dark days of winter. I’m writing this brief update on Christmas Eve to just give a heads-up for early tomorrow morning. This is specifically for northern NJ counties of Warren, Sussex, and Passaic, Hudson Valley (not NYC or LI), CT, MA (not the Cape), VT, most of NH (not Carroll and Coss), and York, Maine.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for those areas. Sleet and freezing rain move across the Northeast up to New England overnight into the early morning hours. Driving will be hazardous, especially on untreated roads and bridges as well as driveways and sidewalks. Most places will be closed obviously, but please take extra caution if you must go out. No SUV or experienced driver can handle pure ice. Further north up to NH, besides ice accumulating a bit more, 1 to 3″ of snow is possible in northern Merrimack Valley, Central Lakes and the White Mountains. The combo of ice and heavy snow may cause isolated power outages due to branches being weighed down. Most of the precip ends across NJ/NY, CT and MA by early to mid afternoon but lingers until sundown across VT and NH. Another round of snow showers moves across the Whites and Greens around midnight and off and on throughout Sunday. Otherwise, the rest of the Northeast is mainly dry Sunday with temps stuck in the mid to upper 30s (40s in mid Atlantic states). If you’re lucky to live or visiting south of I81 to I40, or Virginia / Kentucky on south you’re in luck. The famous SE ridge will be parked over the southeast this week with temps popping into the upper 60s to low 70s starting Sunday thru at least Thursday, mid to upper 50s in DC (that’s for my long term followers who have left the high taxed states).
For the rest of the week ahead expect seasonal temps across the Northeast with a number of isolated snow events possibly on Monday, the 29th to 30th, New Year’s and right into the first week of 2022. All that arctic air over the northwest (check out the forecasted wind-chills below) and tremendous snow totals across WA OR and CA, invade the northeast the end of next week and right into the first weeks of the New Year. “Weather” it lasts into later January remains to be seen but the possibility of major snowstorm and dare I say the dreaded ice storm, is one the table the front 10 days of January.
That’s it for now. Merry Christmas to you and your families and stay off the roads in the morning. I’ll be back before the New Year with more specifics on upcoming winter storms. Time for some shuteye, as Santa and weather never sleep!