Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.....

click on map to enlarge. Rainfall predictions for the storm Sunday through Tuesday... we could see 4+ inches!

.....Oh wait, this isn't Christmas time, its Mid-April!!! I guess the ole standby "April Showers brings May flowers" isn't quite applicable yet.....Yes, that's right folks, looks like more of the wet n' sloppy white stuff is in the forecast. As a result -

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Thursday.

A storm system beginning to die out over the Great Lakes will help to generate a new storm right near the New England coastline during the overnight tonight and the day tomorrow. Although it is not as potent as the possible storm forecast during last Saturday's posting, it looks to bring a slug of the sticky stuff to the region starting tomorrow morning and during the early afternoon.

The Lowell area will be flirting with the rain-snow-mix line as early as mid-late morning, which will help to cut down on accumulations. In addition, temperatures throughout the storm will be just at or above 32 degrees....the magical number for ice and snow. So, although the precipitation may fall heavily enough at times to bring some cold air down from aloft, anything that does fall will be falling onto a surface that is more conducive for melting than freezing. What does that mean for us? If you remember last Wednesday's/Thursday's storm, it means most of the accumulation will be on the grassy and elevated surfaces. Although the roads may get covered, they will remain mostly slushy as opposed to slick and icy. At least mother nature will be cutting us a break in that respect.

As of right now, I am forecasting a slushy 1-3 inches of compact wet snow for the Lowell area, changing to a mixture of sleet and rain during the afternoon. I know this phrase sounds like a broken record, but any deviation in the storm's track could make the difference between all snow and all rain. However, another factor that we must consider as meteorologists is climatology- the mid-April sun is (believe it or not) equivalent in strength to the sun in late August. That's why, despite a couple computer models insisting otherwise, I feel that the storm will end up more on the warm slushy 1-3 inches side of things as opposed to a moderate snowstorm with 4-8 inches. I must issue a caveat though- the models have been flip-flopping these last couple days, and each model run will give us a much better idea of how the storm will impact your day tomorrow. That being said, last minute revisions to the forecast are likely as the storm unfolds. Check back for updates. As weather forecasters, you must be able to live with the label of "flip-flopper," because sometimes that's just the way the weather in New England is.

Looking ahead, I regret to say that the sun and warm temperatures will be on sabaatical these next few days, as the stormy regime continues over our part of the world. An active jet stream will help to spawn yet another storm for Sunday and Monday, and as of right now, this one looks to be a "whopper." Windswept periods of rain and rain mixed with snow appear likely for the area from late Sunday through Monday night....

Don't shoot the messenger quite yet though. This storm looks to stick around for awhile. After developing into an intense gale off the Virginia coast, it looks to track oh-so-slowly northeastward and do a "loop-de-loop" southeast of Cape Cod. Yes, that means we'll be doing a bit of a tango with this one. So, if you have Patriot's Day off, or are going to run in the Boston Marathon, plan accordingly. We also have the possibility of:

1. Localized flooding as a saturated ground cannot hold all the rain and runoff

2. Possible coastal flooding at the time of high tide. Strong winds over a large ocean fetch, coupled with astronomically high tides yield a possible recipe for trouble.

Will and I will keep you abreast of this possible big storm as new updates become available.

So, there you have it. Snow, Rain, Wind, and possible Flooding. Hope you have a good book or two at home for these next few days. Unless of course, you're a skier. In that case, you may want to take Friday off to enjoy the fresh powder.

Ok, I'm done. I don't blame you if you're ready to "lock 'n load." Just remember, I'm only the messenger....

We'll have important updates for you on these two storms on WUML 91.5 FM starting at 7am tomorrow morning. Tune in for my important holiday weekend forecast on Campus Buzz, this Friday from 9-10am.

This is UMASS-Lowell Student Meteorologist John Webster signing off for now....