Good morning! Warmer temperatures are expected for much of New England this afternoon, with highs in the lower 40s. Summit temperatures are expected to reach the upper 30s. For this reason, many resorts will have to take a brief hiatus from their snowmaking operations. If you’re heading to the mountain today, expect mostly clear skies and machine-groomed snow.

Cloud cover is expected to increase later this evening as a cold front approaches New England from our west. Most of the precipitation from this system will be concentrated near coastal regions of New England and will fall as rain. Precipitation will begin during the morning hours on Wednesday, possibly starting as rain and changing over to snow in the afternoon. Higher elevations will see snow showers, and nearly all resorts in northern New England have the chance to pick up about an inch of snow from this storm.

6-hour precipitation loop courtesy of Tropical Tidbits

Colder temperatures move in behind the cold front on Wednesday night, allowing for overnight snowmaking to resume as many resorts prepare open or re-open for Thanksgiving and the weekend. Thursday looks mostly cloudy with some lingering upslope snow showers possible in the morning hours. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s for most of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Friday looks to bring yet another weak system through northern New England, but will not amount to much in terms of accumulations. With temperatures hovering in the mid-30s, some flakes may fall in the higher elevations, but not enough to completely cover the slopes.

By late Friday and early Saturday, a region of high pressure will dominate the eastern seaboard just south of New England. This will allow for a brief period of calm and clear conditions. These few days following Thanksgiving may be a great opportunity to get out on the slopes before another round of rainfall hits the region.

By Saturday afternoon, an area of low pressure will center itself just north of New England, with most of the frozen precipitation staying within the bounds of eastern Canada. In our neck of the woods, we will likely see a period of rainfall during the late afternoon and into the evening. Much colder temperatures will filter in behind this system, turning any remaining moisture over to snow showers overnight and into Sunday, lingering through the remainder of day. This has the potential to bring a few inches across New England, but much is still subject to change. Here is a look at the GFS model run for this weekend:

6-hour precipitation loop courtesy of Tropical Tidbits

These colder temperatures will set the stage for early next week, providing viable conditions for snowmaking as more resorts continue to open their slopes to the public. Check back in throughout the week to see updates on the upcoming storm systems.

Lauren McCarthy, Plymouth State Student Meteorologist

Julia Moreland, Plymouth State Student Meteorologist