Weather Watch

Storm may bring sizable snowfall to Cape

Anywhere from 4 to 9 inches could fall through Wednesday

By Philip Burt

Despite Monday's mild temperatures, it appears as though yet another winter storm is poised to move into the region over the next 24 hours, bringing another round of snow, wind and cold.

Precipitation will break out around the region close to dawn Tuesday as a mix of rain and
snow, however, as precipitation becomes steadier it will quickly transition to all snow and last throughout the day and into Tuesday night.

So how much should we expect?

For several days now this has been a very close call between virtually nothing at all and a major east coast snowstorm. Now with the event less than 24 hours away, it finally appears clear that Cape Cod will indeed be scraped by the western side of the storm giving us a sizable
snowfall.

Snow should fall moderately, to even heavily, at times through Tuesday afternoon and a good portion of Tuesday Night. In fact, light snow could linger into Wednesday, though in a much lighter and more sporadic nature.

At the current time, I'm expecting 4 to 7 inches of snowfall around the area. However, it's not out of the question that these amounts may be a touch on the low side, and that heavier totals closer to 8 or 9 inches might be fall across parts of the Cape.

In addition to the snow, strong north to northeast winds gusting to better than 40 mphare expected, especially across the Outer Cape. These strong winds are likely to cause some blowing and drifting snow and will make for tough travel at times during Tuesday afternoon.

Snow will be wet and heavy for a time Tuesday, which could pose some additional minor problems with tree limbs and power outages.

In all likelihood, when totals from across the Cape are averaged, this will end up being the heaviest snowfall we have seen so far this winter.

A winter storm watch is posted and should be converted to a winter storm warning later tonight or tomorrow morning. You can get the last on the forecast here on CapeCodToday.com and by visiting CapeCodWeather.Net.

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Snowstorm, then deep freeze, heading Cape's way

Up to 8 inches may fall on Cape starting Saturday night

Expect a return of more scenes like this from the New Year's Eve storm as up to 8 inches of snow may fall on Cape Cod starting Saturday night.

Storm will be followed by much colder, possibly sub-zero weather

 By Philip Burt

Those longing for the winters of yesteryear will soon be smiling as a one-two punch of snow and cold descends upon much of the nation in the coming weeks.

For us here on Cape Cod, winter's coming onslaught will commence with a storm Saturday Night and Sunday, marking the beginning of a prolonged period of very cold (and potentially snowy) weather, the likes of which we haven't seen in several years. But before the North Pole pays us a visit later next week, our focus should be squarely on Saturday Night and Sunday, when our next snow event should be underway.

So far this winter, our snowstorms (Dec. 19th and Dec. 31st) have taken a general west to east track across the country, moving from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and then intensifying while heading out to sea south of Cape Cod.

Such a track is a favorable one for snow as it "holds in" the cold air along the coast and allows most, if not all, of the precipitation to fall in the frozen form. The good news for snow-lovers is our next weather system coming up for this weekend looks very similar to the previous two.

At this time, I expect a storm system to slide eastward through the Ohio Valley and head into the Mid-Atlantic region during the day on Saturday. Out ahead of this storm, a shield of snow will spread north and eastward across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, entering southwestern
Southern New England later Saturday afternoon. Snow should reach Cape Cod sometime Saturday evening and continue through a good portion of the day on Sunday.

Assuming this stays all snow (which appears likely at this time, but as always... it will be close), we should be looking at another plowable snowfall - our third significant snow event of the
season.

A general 4-to-7-inch snow storm is my early take on amounts - though some amounts closer to 8 inches are possible on the Upper Cape.

Perhaps the bigger story of the next few weeks will be the cold weather moving in during the middle to latter half of next week. It is very likely that we will have one, if not two, outbreaks of arctic Air between the 15th and the 21st of January.

Similar weather patterns in previous decades have actually delivered sub-zero cold to Cape Cod and I believe there's a chance we could be headed to similar numbers at some point in the coming 10 to 12 days.

Remember, local weather forecasts are available right here on CapeCodToday and you can get more information on the coming cold and snow at CapeCodWeather.Net.

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Here comes the snow - up to 6 inches of it

Accumulations of 6 to 8 inches expected on Cape

 An SUV heads out to brave the storm in Marstons Mills about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

High winds, falling temperatures will follow New Year's Eve storm

By Phil Burt

A quick-hitting winter storm arrived this morning, Wednesday, Dec. 31. This system is somewhat similar to our Dec. 19 snowstorm, in that it will bring a short-lived but relatively intense burst of snow associated with a small storm center passing south of Cape Cod.

Those headed out for New Year's Eve activities should prepare for tough driving conditions and very cold temperatures. New Year's Day is looking wintry, with sunshine but bitter cold temperatures as highs struggle to reach 20 degrees.

Snow began developing over the Cape by mid-morning. Snowfall should become steady and locally heavy at times through the late afternoon hours.

Accumulations should range between 4 and 6 inches around the Cape, with little if any mixing with rain expected.

As the low pressure slides eastward and out to sea it will intensify into a major ocean storm, kicking up our winds and pulling down frigid air from Canada.

Consequently, temperatures will fall during the evening and winds will increase out of the north to 30 mph with gusts to 55 to 60 mph, making travel difficult during the afternoon and evening hours.

Those headed out for New Year's Eve activities should prepare for tough driving conditions and very cold temperatures. New Year's Day is looking wintry, with sunshine but bitter cold temperatures as highs struggle to reach 20 degrees.

You can get your latest National Weather Service forecast at CapeCodToday.com and local updates at Cape Cod Weather.net as the storm approaches and develops today and this evening.

A Barnstable Police cruiser at the scene of a single-car accident Wednesday near the intersection of River Road and Lovells Lane in Marstons Mills. The driver, whose car skidded in the snow, wasn't hurt.

A front-end loader goes down one of the lanes in the parking lot outside the Super Stop & Shop supermarket in Marstons Mills early Wednesday afternoon.

Westbound traffic creeps along Route 28 in Marstons Mills Wednesday afternoon. The intersection with South County Road, which leads to Osterville and Wianno, is at right.

Snow drapes a creche in the heart of downtown Osterville.

 A northeast wind drives the snow through trees in Marstons Mills on Wednesday morning. Winds are predicted to increase and temperatures to fall Wednesday evening.

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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.

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