Weather Watch

Get ready: Winter's first snowstorm hits Cape on Friday

6 to 9 inches could blanket Cape Cod
Near-zero visibility may occur

By Philip Burt

Get your snow shovel ready. Old Man Winter to pay a visit tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 18.

It seems quite fitting that my first article for CapeCodToday comes as I anxiously await the arrival of the season's first big snowstorm. I love a good snowstorm. I get as excited about them now as I did when I was five years old.

But it's not just heavy snow - it's all kinds of weather. Strong winds. Severe thunderstorms. Torrential rainfall. Dense fog. Bitter cold. Scorching heat waves.

I live for it all. And if you've spent any length of time on Cape Cod, you know our weather can run the full gamut, sometimes in just a matter of hours! For me, it's a perfect fit.

I live for it all. And if you've spent any length of time on Cape Cod, you know our weather can run the full gamut, sometimes in just a matter of hours! For me, it's a perfect fit.

It's this passion for weather and love for Cape Cod that inspired me to launch
CapeCodWeather.Net. The site provides me with an opportunity to do what I love: discuss and forecast Cape Cod weather.

With that in mind, being a contributor to CapeCodToday - a truly local and honest Web site with a dynamic and knowledgeable audience - is a natural fit.

I'm excited at the opportunity to talk to you about all things weather as they relate to Cape Cod. I hope to provide some insight on the weather forecast, talk about pending weather systems or perhaps provide some historical context to a particular storm or an unusual weather pattern. I hope you enjoy this blog and I welcome any thoughts or topics for discussion you might have.

Anyhow, now that the introduction is complete, let's get right to it.

Though winter made a brief appearance in November, the season has gotten off to a relatively tranquil start locally, leaving snow hounds such as me drooling at the prospects of a good old-fashioned Cape Cod snowstorm.

While there hasn't been much winter weather so far this season on the Cape, we are in the midst of a very active, wintry weather pattern as a whole.

Frigid arctic air battling southward from Canada is encountering a wealth of warm and humid air over the southeastern United States, fueling some wild weather (such as major ice storm over interior New England last week.)

Snow will likely develop here on Cape Cod during the midday hours and quickly become heavy. Snow should continue, moderate to heavy at times, through Friday evening, with lighter snows lasting through a good portion of Saturday.

This contrast in air masses is producing a strong jet stream across the country, and this river of fast moving air is pointed right toward New England. Consequently, storm systems have been racing across the nation, bringing us unsettled weather every few days.

While initially these storms have been "warm," giving us several bouts of rain, colder air is gradually oozing southward, increasing the likelihood of frozen precipitation with our next weather system.

Tomorrow, Friday, a storm system will work eastward from the Ohio Valley and feed on the sharp temperature contrast in place over the eastern third of the nation.

As the storm encounters chilly air over the Northeast, it will spread a shield of snow into southern New England.

Snow will likely develop here on Cape Cod during the midday hours and quickly become heavy. Snow should continue, moderate to heavy at times, through Friday evening, with lighter snows lasting through a good portion of Saturday.

In anticipation of this approaching storm system, the National Weather Service in Taunton issued a Winter Storm Watch on Thursday afternoon.

The watch, which notes the potential for "near-zero visibilities at times along with blowing and drifting snow," will likely be upgraded to a winter storm warning or a heavy snow warning should the current forecast hold.

If everything comes together as expected, I feel confident (always a scary statement to make when forecasting the weather) in a significant snowfall, on the order of at least 6 to 9 inches here on the Cape. Add in a strong northeast wind gusting in excess of 40 mph, typical of a coastal storm, and we are nearly assured of a treacherous afternoon and evening.

And if all of this weren't enough for you, another storm looks likely by Sunday and Monday. Old Man Winter is here.

You can get my latest forecast on the pending storm, read the latest statements from the National Weather Service and lots more at my Web site.

Read Cape Cod Today's forecast and report on current conditions here.