Shades of 1969

Posted by Chris Lambert

We entered February, 1969, with only 6.4" of snow all winter in Boston.  That month, more than made up for a lackluster winter.  The February 24-27th, 1969 storm brought in 26.3" of snow to Boston, which still stands as the 3rd biggest snowstorm in the city's history.  Aside from that storm, we had another 15" fall that month, giving us 41.3" of snow in the short month of February alone!

It's a great example of how one storm can make or break a winter, and it's safe to say this one made it.  Boston's now had 35.6" of snow this winter... avg. to date is 26.7".  Worcester has had a whopping 63.5" compared to an average of 39.4".   In all fairness to this winter, it hasn't been as pathetic as last winter, especially just outside the city.  Worcester was near normal before this storm, and many suburbs had picked up about 20-25" throughout the winter to date, just a bit below the averages.

So what lies ahead?  Tough to say if we'll see a couple more decent storms this month for sure, but models indicate an active pattern across the eastern half the country continues the next few weeks, so the potential is there.

Blizzard conditions hit MN and ND today, but that storm will be mostly rain for us.   We'll start off as a bit of sleet and freezing rain mid to late morning tomorrow before transitioning over to plain rain.  I don't expect a lot of rain, about 1/2", but it will weigh down that snow.  If you have a flat or low pitch roof, and it has a lot of snow on it, it's not a bad idea to know some of it off.  Also, clear the gutters and drainage areas around the house or in front of your house.

I don't expect severe flooding issues with this rain.  It would be more of an issue if we had 2" of rain and temps in the 50s vs the low 40s.  That set-up would cause more snow to melt rapidly. 

It's going to be a long few days of cleaning up ahead.  Hats off to the road crews .  You've done a great job so far in an immense challenge.  It's not often that most of the state picks up 20-30" of snow.

Stay safe!

That's A Wrap--I Think

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

I hope I'm not jinxing us with this statement.."The recent wet pattern is over....onto sunshine & a more summer- like pattern.." The last time someone from 7 weather called a pattern change too soon we got a blizzard and 3 subsequent nor'easters (looking at you Pete!!--LOL). We don't have to worry about any blizzards or nor'easters but one never knows in the new world order.

Like A Waterfall

Posted by Pete Bouchard

If you were caught in those 'cloudbursts' today, you had more than you could handle in the rain department. Torrents fell in a short amount of time - what we deem 'flash flooding' in the weather biz. Since it happens suddenly, the National Weather Service has adopted the acronym TADD:

Bam! Pow!

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

Bam. Pow! Those were some nasty storms last evening with some towns in metrowest & the city itself blasted with locally heavy rain, hail, lightning and strong wind gusts. A cool front is the culprit and that front will linger across the region again today. That means another round of some scattered showers & t-storms likely.

Thunderous Start to Workweek

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Heat and a bit of humidity fed a strong - and sometimes severe - line of thunderstorms today. By the time the dinner hour rolled around (6pm-ish), the storms had consolidated into a line. Everyone got a drink of water and a big drop in temperatures - some falling nearly 20 degrees in minutes!