Did you guys check out the snow depth on Mount Mansfield over in Vermont? The recent storm caused the snow depth to jump from below normal for this time of year into the upper ~25% of the climatological distribution. It's been a long winter of chasing down the average, but we've done it. Climatologically speaking, it looks like we've got about another week or two, on average, before we start melting out the snows into May. 

Latest radar animation ending at 7:45AM on Friday morning. 

It looks like we'll add to the snow depth in the Green Mountains on Friday morning as low pressure moves in from the west. Temperatures will move toward freezing across many slopes in the North Country and likely above at lower elevations. It'll hit 40F in the valleys. Whatever snow we do manage below 4000 feet early could be compacted and slushed away with rain showers later in the day/overnight. High elevations *may* remain all snow, but it'll be close. We do have snow levels rising to 5000-6000 feet throughout the day and evening in the OpenSnow blend. Precipitation (rain) amounts are light -- less than 0.25" -- so significant melting will not be an issue. 

NAM model forecast animation for 8AM Friday through 2AM Saturday (Friday Night). 

The rain showers clear out overnight into Saturday as a cold front pushes through the region. The front should drop temperatures back below freezing by first chair and usher in some breezy west/northwest winds for Saturday skiing and riding. Temperatures likely settle into the low 20s on the slopes by Saturday afternoon with snow showers likely, especially in the Greens. Temperatures could make for a harder pack as the snow surface freezes. Groomers should be fine and anywhere with deep snow from earlier this week probably (?) won't be impacted. 

NAM model forecast animation for 2PM Saturday through 2PM Sunday. 

Snow showers will peak late Saturday afternoon, die back overnight, and then pick up again on Sunday afternoon driven by the diurnal cycle. Heating during the day with a big pocket of cold air aloft will lead to convective (warm air rising) snow showers. 1-2" of snow are possible across the Greens in this set up with potentially more over in the Adirondacks with some late-season lake-effect off Ontario.

ECMWF ensemble grid for 24-hour snowfall through the end of the month.

The week ahead is looking pretty quiet. We are still watching for another potential snowstorm in the extended forecast for next weekend, but the trend hasn't changed since Wednesday. Latest guidance still suggests the potential for some snows, with some aggregation of odds during the Friday-Saturday (3/24-25) period and then again next Tuesday-Wednesday (3/28-29). 

ECMWF ensemble forecast animation for next weekend (Fri-Mon) during 24-27 March.

Any snows during the end of next week will be driven by changes to the large-scale flow influenced by the atmospheric pattern over the North Pacific. Current ensemble guidance suggests that changes upstream will lead to a trough of cold air developing over the central U.S. with moisture pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic. It's a common theme thus far this winter. The first storm on 24-25 March looks to go to our West (also a common theme), while the second storm on 26-27 March may move closer to and along the coast. Both storms are worth watching. The first would have precipitation type issues; the second would most likely be snow.

-Dr. Jay

Next Daily Snow will likely be an update over the weekend.