Today

 

As we head into the weekend, were starting Friday off with temperatures in the single digits. An upper level trough has dug down from Canada and brought with it temperatures below 0F. This cold air is going to remain in place until the end of this weekend.

Image courtesy of weather.cod.edu

In Plymouth, NH the wind chill factor is making the air feel as cold as 15 below 0F; The temperature dropped to -27F at Mt. Washington last night with a wind chill of -70F! The good news is it’s sunny outside and temperatures may reach the mid 20’s at mountain bases today. If you dress for the occasion, you may be able to get in a nice day at the mountain. However, keep in mind that even when temperatures feel the warmest today, the wind chill factor is going to make temperatures feel close to 0 degrees or below at mountain bases across New England.

Temperatures at mountain summits will range from -15 to -30F with the wind chill factor. The warmest conditions for today will be in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Blue Hills is forecasted to have a high wind chill temperature of 9 degrees and Woodbury in Connecticut will feel as warm as 13 degrees with the wind (at the base). So if you’re skiing in Massachusetts or Connecticut today, the temperatures will be more bearable. However, if you decide to go skiing today,  no matter where you go, wear plenty of layers, use toe/hand warmers, and don’t stay on the slopes for a prolonged period of time. The National Weather Service has issued wind chill warnings/watches across New England today. 

This Weekend

 

The weekend is not looking so pleasant for skiers across New England. There is going to be dangerously cold weather throughout the region. Saturday and Sunday are expected to start off with temperatures well below 0F (-5 to -10F), while the wind chill factor will make it feel as cold as -30F. Keep in mind this would be at the base of ski resorts. Taking a lift up to a summit that has wind chilll temperatures between -40 and -50 degrees F would not be fun! This might be a better weekend to try slower moving winter activities such as cross country skiing. If you’re planning on going to the slopes, plan on wearing an excessive amount of layers, and don’t plan on staying for very long. Many parts of the region will be experiencing record breaking cold temperatures.

On a side note, snow flurries are expected to bring 1-3 inches of new snow to northern New England for Saturday. So if you’re going to sit out this weekend due to the cold, at least you’ll have some freshly groomed snow to look forward to on Monday. Here’s what we can expect by the end of the weekend. 

Next Week

There will be a February vacation week for many public schools in New Engalnd next week, and on Monday things will go back to normal with temperatures climbing into the upper 20’s. Sunny skies for most of the day will make for a nice start to a family skiing vacation in New England. On Tuesday were expecting a storm to bring heavy precipitation to the Northeast. The precipitation associated with this system will consist of a mix of rain/ice/snow. Northern VT,NH, ME, and mountains at higher elevations, should see the highest accumulations of snow, as temperatures will be closer to freezing in these regions. However, the high probability of a wintry mix in most locations throughout New England on Tuesday will likely make for very poor traveling conditions. Fortunately the end of next week is looking pretty nice (for now). We're not expecting any additional snow after Tuesday, but high temperatures are expected to range from the lower 40’s on Wednesday to the upper 20’s/lower 30's on Thursday/Friday. Here is a GFS model 7 day snow outlook.

 

That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow morning to give updates on the record breaking cold and the forecast for next week. Stay warm!

Rob Megnia Graduate Student, Plymouth State University/New England Daily Snow