Wednesday Forecast

2:35AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 4)
On this final day of the first month of 2018, we stand about half way through a winter that was front loaded with cold and a fair amount of snow, though not excessive. If you happen to be reading this prior to 6:40AM, and provided you have an unobstructed view of the western horizon, you still have a chance to view the super blue blood moon, but I must qualify this. The “blood” part is only that, part, as in “partial”, as a lunar eclipse that will be total for the Pacific Ocean area will be just getting underway in the final ten or so minutes before setting, so you may barely notice a reddish tint to the moon as it begins to enter the earth’s shadow. These days, finding the best view online is easy, so some of you may be doing that – putting yourself in the area of best view, virtually. Looking forward, we will enter February in a weather pattern that will be dominated by colder than normal air and fairly frequent passing systems, some promising to deliver additional snow, though looking about as far ahead as I can I’m not seeing any strong signals of any blockbuster snowstorms. The next threat comes early Friday when a cold front passes and the rain showers that accompany it will evolve into a period of snow as moisture lingers behind the front as the cold air returns to the region. High pressure will move in behind this and bring dry and cold weather for Saturday. On its heals will come the next wave of low pressure on Sunday, probably tracking just north of the region but producing snow showers as the air will remain cold enough. Forecast details…
TODAY: Mostly sunny start then increasing clouds leading to a mostly cloudy finish. Highs 27-34. Wind NW 10-20 MPH early then diminishing.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 21-27. Wind W under 10 MPH.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. A brief period of snow possible through mid morning, favoring northern MA and southern NH. Chance of rain showers late in the day. Highs 37-43. Wind W up to 10 MPH morning, SW 10-20 MPH afternoon.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Rain arriving west to east late evening, turning to snow west to east overnight with minor accumulation likely. Lows 27-34. Wind SW 5-15 MPH shifting to NW.
FRIDAY: Cloudy start with snow ending as snow showers, then decreasing clouds and increasing sun. Temperatures steady 27-34 early then falling through 20s by late day. Wind NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows from the upper 0s to middle 10s. Highs in the 20s.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows in the 10s. Highs from the middle 20s to lower 30s.

DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 5-9)
Watching a possible storm of snow and/or mix for early in the period and another threat of winter precipitation about February 7-8 as the pattern remains active. Temperatures near to below normal.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 10-14)
Additional threats of winter precipitation come during this period as the pattern stays the same. Temperatures near to below normal.

Tuesday Forecast

7:33AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 3)
Always fun watching systems evolve and put more snow where you said less, or less snow where you said more, or both. Regardless, snowy morning, improvement this afternoon, and the active pattern sends the next event in here Thursday and early Friday in the form of a cold front. A significant shot of cold air awaits for the start of the weekend.
TODAY: Overcast with additional snow of 1/2 to 2 inches (1-4 total with isolated heavier) this morning. Breaking clouds this afternoon. Temperatures steady 26-32. Wind N 5-15 MPH gusting to 25 MPH. Minor to moderate coastal flooding at the time of high tide this morning.
TONIGHT: Clearing. Lows 12-17. Wind NW 5-15 MPH. Wind chill below 10 at times.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-34. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Scattered light rain/snow. Lows in the 20s. Highs from the middle 30s to lower 40s.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with mix/snow showers morning. Partly cloudy afternoon. Temperatures starting out middle 30s to lower 40s, falling to the 20s by late.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows in the 10s. Highs in the 20s.

DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 4-8)
Disturbances bring chance of snow or snow showers February 4, 6, and 8. Temperatures below normal.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 9-13)
Active pattern with a couple more disturbances bringing precipitation chances. Temperatures near to below normal.

Monday Forecast

1:31AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 2)
Low pressure will develop and move northeastward along a frontal boundary offshore through early Tuesday. This will be a fast-moving wave of low pressure which will keep the bulk of its precipitation offshore, but not all of it, and a minor accumulating snow event will occur in southeastern MA. An upper level disturbance passes mainly south of the region Tuesday behind the departing low but may be close enough for a few snow showers. High pressure brings fair and cold weather for the final day of January on Wednesday. The next low pressure area will track north of the region Thursday and early Friday, dragging its warm front through the region Thursday and its cold front early Friday. This will not be a major event but will produce some light precipitation which may include some snow on Friday. Forecast details…
TODAY: Some morning sun possible north central MA and southern NH in the morning, otherwise cloudy. Late-day rain/snow arrives Cape Cod. Highs 34-49. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH increasing to 10-20 MPH with higher gusts especially southeastern areas by late in the day.
TONIGHT: Overcast. Rain to snow eastern part of Cape Cod and Nantucket, snow western part of Cape Cod through southeastern MA and a lighter period of snow RI up the I-95 corridor. Snow accumulation 1-3 inches from Plymouth MA to New Bedford MA eastward to the Mid Cape region with a slight chance of an isolated 3-5 inch amount in there, and a coating to 1 inch east of there and in the I-95 corridor. Lows 26-31. Wind NE 5-15 MPH except 15-25 MPH with higher gusts Cape Cod.
TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers. Temperatures steady 26-31. Wind N 5-15 MPH gusting 20-25 MPH.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Clearing. Lows 12-17. Wind NW 5-15 MPH. Wind chill below 10 at times.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-34. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Scattered light rain/snow. Lows in the 20s. Highs from the middle 30s to lower 40s.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with mix/snow showers morning. Partly cloudy afternoon. Temperatures starting out middle 30s to lower 40s, falling to the 20s by late.

DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 3-7)
Disturbances bring chance of snow or snow showers February 4 and 6 otherwise mainly dry and on the cold side.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 8-12)
Disturbances bring precipitation risks about every other day with temperatures near to below normal.

Sunday Forecast

11:40AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 1)
No significant changes on this post. A cold front pushed through the region and will settle to the south of the region and slow down as a wave of low pressure develops and moves along it, keeping the bulk of its precipitation offshore but tossing a little snow into southeastern MA for a period of time late Monday. An upper disturbance may produce a few snow showers Tuesday before high pressure moves in Wednesday for a cold/dry end to the month. A warm front will push into the region on Thursday with clouds but milder weather.
TODAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers South Coast through early afternoon. Highs 45-52. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 28-35. Wind N 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Chance of mix/snow mainly late and night mainly southeastern MA, mix most likely at the onset. Highs 33-39. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. A period of snow southeastern MA with minor accumulation. Lows 25-32. Wind NE to N 5-15 MPH.
TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Highs 28-35. Wind N 5-15 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows in the 10s. Highs from the lower to middle 30s.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the 20s. Highs from the middle 30s to lower 40s.

DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 2-6)
Cold front pushes through the region Friday February 2 with a risk of rain showers turning to snow showers but will monitor in case a wave of low pressure enhances precipitation. Fair, cold Saturday February 3. A disturbance may bring a few snow showers Sunday February 4. Fair, cold Monday February 5. Looking at the risk of some snow by February 6 depending on the track of low pressure moving into the region.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 7-11)
Expecting a battle between cold air from Canada and milder air in the southeastern US likely resulting in some unsettled episodes of weather here along with variable temperatures.

Saturday Forecast

9:36AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 27-31)
January’s final stretch is here – 5 days to go, and there will be several changes in the weather during this time. First, however, through mid morning watch for patches of black ice due to the formation of moisture on still below-freezing surfaces as milder air starts to arrive. This will vanish quickly later in the morning and we’ll have a mild, dry, and windy day with a strengthening southwesterly air flow. A cold front will cross the region Sunday with most of the rain shower activity in the morning and midday. Still watching for the formation of low pressure moving up along this boundary Monday and it still appears that the bulk of it will pass offshore late Monday, but not far enough to completely miss parts the region with a period of snow, as colder air will have moved in. The most likely area to see this is southeastern MA. An upper level disturbance may produce lingering snow showers Tuesday before high pressure moves in with a cold and more tranquil finish to the month on Wednesday. Forecast details…
TODAY: Mostly sunny morning. Partly sunny afternoon. Highs 45-52. Wind SW 5-15 MPH morning, 10-20 MPH gusting 25-35 MPH afternoon.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows 40-45. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers through early afternoon. Highs 45-52. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 28-35. Wind N 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Chance of mix/snow mainly late and night mainly southeastern MA, mix most likely at the onset. Highs 33-39. Wind N to NE 5-15 MPH.
TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows from the lower to middle 20s. Highs from the upper 20s to lower 30s.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows in the 10s. Highs from the lower to middle 30s.

DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 1-5)
A warm front arrives February 1 with some cloudiness and milder air. A cold front swings through at some point February 2 which will be an unsettle day. The questions are the timing of the front and whether or not there will be a wave of low pressure coming up along the front. This will determine precipitation type and amount. Early call is a mild start with rain showers ending as snow showers but cannot rule out a period of steadier snow. Mostly fair and colder weather February 3-5 except a weak disturbance may produce a few snow showers about February 4.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 6-10)
Looking for battle between cold air from Canada and milder air in the southeastern US likely resulting in some unsettled episodes of weather here along with variable temperatures.

Friday Forecast

7:25AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 26-30)
High pressure brings a tranquil winter’s day today then moves offshore and allows a warm-up for Saturday. After that, a cold front will move through Saturday night and Sunday with rain showers. This front will settle offshore Sunday night and low pressure will develop on it and pass southeast of New England Monday and Tuesday with some threat of precipitation at that time. It appears the bulk of the action may remain offshore but some upper level energy will hang back near the coast at least enough to produce snow showers. Will still have to watch the evolution of this as several scenarios are still possible, ranging from virtually no snow to a widespread episode of it. Forecast details…
TODAY: Sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind light N.
TONIGHT: Clear. Lows 10-15 interior rural areas, 15-20 elsewhere except 20-25 South Coast. Wind light variable becoming light SW.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny morning. Partly sunny afternoon. Highs 45-52. Wind SW 5-15 MPH morning, 10-20 MPH gusting 25-35 MPH afternoon.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows 40-45. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers through early afternoon. Highs 45-52. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of mix/snow mainly afternoon and night. Lows from the upper 20s to middle 30s. Highs from the middle to upper 30s.
TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows from the lower to middle 20s. Highs from the upper 20s to lower 30s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 4)
Dry and cold January 31, milder February 1. Strong front brings rain showers February 2 which may end as mix/snow as it starts mild then turns colder. Fair, colder weekend of February 3-4.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 5-9)
Looking for battle between cold air from Canada and milder air in the southeastern US likely resulting in some unsettled episodes of weather here along with variable temperatures. Fair too early for any deterministic details.

Thursday Forecast

7:42AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 25-29)
High pressure brings dry and cold weather today and Friday, then moves offshore to allow a warm up Saturday before a front arrives with a rain shower threat Sunday. This front will be not far offshore when it slows down Monday and we’ll have to watch an area of low pressure forming on it. If it’s close enough, a mix/snow threat will result. Leaning toward it being more offshore for now but it’s several days away so confidence is not too high.
TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind NW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 10-17. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind N 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Lows in the 20s. Highs in the 40s.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 50s.
MONDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of mix/snow showers. Temperatures falling 40s to 30s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 3)
Risk of snow showers January 30 as a disturbance is nearby and dry January 31 as high pressure moves in, with cold weather expected. Moderating February 1-2 with a risk of unsettled weather by February 2, then turning dry/colder end of period.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 4-8)
Temperatures near to below normal with 1 or 2 mix/snow threats possible.

Wednesday Forecast

7:39AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 24-28)
Watch for icy spots early to mid morning before sun, wind, and above freezing temperatures combine to eliminate it. Dry weather will dominate through Saturday with a trend to colder through Thursday, staying on the cold side Friday, then moderating as the weekend arrives. By Sunday, mild air will dominate and the next precipitation threat will be rain showers. Forecast details…
TODAY: Partly cloudy. Highs 35-42. Wind W 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 15-22. Wind NW 5-15 MPH with higher gusts.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind NW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 10-17. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind N 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Lows in the 20s. Highs in the 40s.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 50s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 2)
Turning colder and breezy with a few rain and/or snow showers January 29. Fair and chilly January 30-31. Milder to start February with unsettled weather possible by February 2.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 3-7)
Turning colder during this period. Watching for a possible mix/snow threat mid to late period.

Tuesday Forecast

7:37AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 23-27)
The front that came down from the north early yesterday attempted to move back to the north and was met with a struggle due to stubborn cold air at the surface, which held temperatures near to below freezing in a good portion of central to northeastern MA and southern NH, resulting in freezing drizzle, some freezing rain, and icy conditions. The warm air finally wins out today though, preceded by fog in areas that are still cool, and accompanied by wet weather including some heavy rainfall. All of this clears the region west to east by tonight as a strong cold front from the west pushes through, and then the middle to late part of the week will be cold and dry before it moderates to start the weekend. Forecast details…
TODAY: Lingering icy areas central MA and southern NH early. Overcast through mid afternoon with areas of fog and drizzle through mid morning then numerous rain showers, some heavy including the chance of thunder, from late morning through mid afternoon except later afternoon Cape Cod as clouds break in areas to the west. Highs 52-60. Wind light E early then S increasing to 15-25 MPH with gusts above 30 MPH except above 40 MPH from the I-95 belt eastward.
TONIGHT: Clearing. Lows 33-40. Wind W 15-25 MPH with higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny. Highs 35-42. Wind W 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 15-22. Wind NW 5-15 MPH with higher gusts.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind NW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows in the 10s. Highs from the upper 20s to lower 30s.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Lows in the 20s. Highs in the 40s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 1)
Mild and windy with a risk of rain showers January 28 into January 29 then windy and colder later January 29 into January 30 with drier weather. Continued dry and more tranquil but still chilly through January 31. A turn to milder February 1 may be accompanied by light precipitation.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 2-6)
Mild and unsettled February 2 then drier and a little colder followed by a possible winter precipitation threat later in the period. Timing will be very uncertain this far out.

Monday Forecast

7:39AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 22-26)
A cold front slipped quietly through from north to south overnight and will make its way back northward as a warm front, but will take about 24 hours to do so, resulting in a cool, damp Monday. It may be cold enough over interior northern MA and southern NH for a little snow/sleet/ice. We get into the warm sector but with more wet weather Tuesday until a cold front moves through from west to east. This will be followed by colder, dry weather for the middle to end of the week.
Forecast details…
TODAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain except light snow/sleet/rain north central MA and southern NH. Highs 36-43. Wind N to NE up to 10 MPH.
TONIGHT: Cloudy. Rain likely except a period of freezing rain possible interior valleys north central MA and southern NH evening. Lows 30-38 evening, rising to 38-45 overnight. Wind light NE to E, shifting to SE overnight.
TUESDAY: Cloudy. Numerous rain showers, some possibly heavy, with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs 46-53. Wind S 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and windy. Temperatures falling from the 40s to the 20s.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny and breezy. Lows from the middle 10s to lower 20s. Highs from the upper 20s to middle 30s.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows in the 10s. Highs in the 30s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 27-31)
Weekend will be milder with dry weather January 27 and rain showers January 28. Windy/colder start to next week then dry and more tranquil but still on the chilly side for the final couple days of January as high pressure dominates.

DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 1-5)
Look for a shift to milder but also somewhat unsettled weather to start the month of February.

Sunday Forecast

7:09AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 21-25)
The mild weekend will continue today, not totally sunny, but not bad at all for late January. The forecast for the AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Jaguars remains about the same: middle 40s at kick-off, upper 30s at game’s end, a light wind, and dry conditions. The nice weather comes to an end early in the week as a cold front drops innocuously southward across the region in the early hours of Monday and then sits just south of the region as low pressure heads for the Great Lakes. Eventually it turns wet with periods of rain developing by later Monday, though just enough cold air may be in place for a little snow and/or sleet over interior areas especially north central MA and southern NH for a time Monday night. By Tuesday morning, the front that went by as a cold front early Monday will head back north as a warm front and with the cold front on its heels we’ll see additional rainfall in the form of frequent rain showers, some heavy. By Wednesday, this is all gone and we’re into a period of windy, colder, dry weather which will last through Thursday.
Forecast details…
TODAY: Partly cloudy. Highs 43-50. Wind W 5-10 MPH, gusts to 15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 25-32. Wind W up to 10 MPH shifting to N.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain except light sleet/rain north central MA and southern NH afternoon. Highs 35-42. Wind N to NE up to 10 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT: Overcast. Rain likely except a period of snow and/or sleet possible interior MA/NH first. Lows 32-40 evening, rising into 40s overnight. Wind light NE to E, shifting to SE overnight.
TUESDAY: Cloudy. Numerous rain showers, some possibly heavy, with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs 46-53. Wind S 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and windy. Temperatures falling from the 40s to the 20s.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny and breezy. Lows from the middle 10s to lower 20s. Highs from the upper 20s to middle 30s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 26-30)
Fair and cold January 26 then fair and milder January 27 as high pressure dominates then moves off to the east. Expecting the storm track to take the next low through the Great Lakes and north of New England with a mild rain shower episode January 28 but a quick switch to windy/colder with a few snow showers possible January 29 then fair and chilly weather January 30.

DAYS 11-15 (JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 4)
A fair/cold end to January and a milder and unsettled start to February are the current medium range indications.

January 1978 – A Wild Month

They say your memory of events is skewed by age. This is somewhat true. Your whole life is only 10 years long when you’re 10 years old. When you’re 50, it’s half a century. That makes a difference. “It used to snow all the time like this when I was young.” or “There was always so much snow on the ground when I was a little kid.” Go back in history if you can. Look it up. You’ll find that both of those statements are not really true. We remember things differently when we are younger, and we perceive them with a bit of this remaining skew as we get older. This holds true for any event, not just a weather-related one. But there are some things that you just really do remember quite well, and the winter of 1977-1978 was one that I remember quite well. This is a look back to how I experienced it through my 10-year-old senses.

My interest in weather goes way back. I remember being fascinated by snow, and thunderstorms (though a bit scared by these), and windy days, and roads flooded by heavy rains, and on and on. Some of this interest, and maybe a good part of it, was fueled by one of my brothers and his own interest in weather. I remember his finger flipping pages of books he’d checked out of the local library and pointing out black and white photos of tornadoes in the Plains and other fascinating captures. The quality was not great in these already-worn book pages, but the picture they painted in my head was very clear. I wanted to learn more about all of these things. Someday I’d go to school to become a “weather man”. Well, I grew up and did that, and have been one ever since. But that is not where the magic lies. Although I enjoy the challenge day to day of trying to predict what this vast ocean of air, interacting with water and earth, is going to do, the real beauty and excitement is just seeing and experiencing the results of these interactions, whether I predicted them correctly or not. Ever since I can remember, this has been endlessly fascinating to me, and it never gets old. I get this excitement from viewing a tuft of cirrus clouds moving across the sky above the distant horizon on a hot, sunny summer day, knowing that beyond that horizon lies an icy tundra already preparing to make the cold air that will bring us our winter blasts and threats of snow in the months that lie ahead. Anticipation of events is often as fun as the event itself. Those cirrus clouds are as exciting to me as the weather I’m about to describe, because it’s all connected. For me, it all leads to the same thing – the amazing atmosphere and its constant battle to make itself the same temperature, pressure, moisture content, and stubbornly, persistently, and powerfully thwarted by the sun that the world the atmosphere covers revolves around. And as if adding frosting to an already perfectly-baked cake, we have the tilt of the planet giving us our seasons. It’s such a perfect recipe for inconsistency… change… weather. We’re lucky and I’m lucky to be here to witness it at this time in celestial history.

It is this fascination with every day weather that drove me to want to start a weather diary to record what went on day to day. By chance, the first day of this diary was January 1, 1978, in a small pocket calendar in which I tried (and often times failed) as neatly as possible to describe the weather of each day in the little box. This would change in years to come, but this is how it started out. But I don’t need to go to my weather keepsake box in the attic and dig out that diary to remember the weather pretty much day-to-day for the entire month of January 1978, the month BEFORE the big one came. That was an exciting month, for sure, as the dynamic weather pattern in place that I had pretty much no understanding of would deliver several events that would loudly remind me of how much I loved observing it. So from memory, this is my account of my view of things from Woburn, Massachusetts, during the first month of 1978.

Back in December 1977, before Christmas, though I don’t remember the date, we had some kind of ocean-effect snow event that had delivered several inches of snow to my area and had me very excited for a white Christmas and I had already decided at that point that I was going to start a weather diary on New Year’s Day. I remember that the year started on a Sunday and sometime that night a weather system moved in and after it cleared the region early on Monday January 2 it had left behind about 5 inches of snow in the region. I was not measuring snowfall myself at age 10, but I was getting the information from my weather-loving older brother who would take the measurements in the yard, and was quite a stickler for accuracy, so though many of my snow amounts in my diary are to the nearest inch, he probably had more detailed recordings somewhere. I still remember him telling me that it was 101 degrees on a sizzling summer day in 1975. But back to 1978. After that early snowfall, it got quiet for the better part of a week with no events of significant note through Sunday January 8. But late that week, the weather pattern was charging itself up and ready to unleash a tirade of storms on this area, 6 in all, from the period of January 9 through January 26…

The January 9 event, a Monday, was similar to the warm storm we had about 10 days after our January 4 2018 snowstorm. It was due to low pressure tracking northwest of the region, putting us on the warm side, with an influx of tropical air pushing temperatures into the 50s and 60s. The 1978 event was one that carried quite a bit of wind with it. I remember people, including us, getting water in basements from the combination of heavy rain and partly frozen ground. By the end of that day the sky had cleared and the temperature had fallen to far below freezing. Tuesday January 10 was a breather day, but that breath was short, because on the morning of Wednesday January 11 we were in the midst of a sleet storm which had been preceded by a few inches of snow. The sleet itself piled up, and then was replaced by heavy rain. I remember being in my very waterproof rubber boots and walking through 5 or 6 inches of waterlogged snow/sleet while being completely ignorant as I did’t realize until later, my family’s efforts to clear this tremendously weighted mass of winter glob from the walkways and driveway before the freeze came the following day. They got it done, and I just had fun sloshing around in it and probably finding a way to get the inside of my “waterproof” boots wet. If social media existed back then, I can only imagine the posts about weather that would have surfaced after that event, but oh, we were not done… I awoke on Friday January 13 to that extra bright white glow you get through your closed window shades that can only mean one thing: snow. There was snow, and quite a bit of it, enough to cancel school for the day. There are 2 distinctive memories I have from this event. One is my brother’s super-excited reaction every time he heard “Woburn” mentioned among the school cancellations and me saying something like “you already heard it 3 times, how many more times do you need to hear it?”. I also remember the song “Sentimental Lady” by Bob Welch (formerly of Fleetwood Mac) coming on the radio and that song has since been a “snow song” for me. The “Friday the 13th” storm produced a solid foot of snow here and provided plenty of outside play opportunity for that day and the weekend.

I suppose after 3 significant storms in 7 days, we needed a break, and we got one through January 19. But when break time was over, it was over. On Friday January 20 came the “forgotten blizzard”. Oh it was certainly not initially forgotten, given that it produced 20 inches of snow in 12 hours at Logan Airport in Boston setting a new record, with the final storm total at Boston of just over 21 inches. Needless to say it was another no-school day, as would be the following Monday, as crews already strained from the recent storminess had all they could do to clear the wind-drifted almost 2 feet of snow that fell in Woburn and nearby areas. That was a pretty epic storm by the standards we use here. One clear yet somewhat sad memory I have from that storm is my best friend at the time and his family driving away in a car and moving truck during the height of the storm and disappearing into the white curtain of blowing snow on the first leg of their cross-country move to the desert of Nevada. But the kid mind is easily distracted, and just 6 days later there would come another big distraction of the weather variety…

Thursday January 26 1978 was the day of the Blizzard of ’78. “Wait! The blizzard of ’78 was in February! You’re wrong!” Very true. Our Blizzard of ’78 was indeed in February, but Chicago’s was on this date, January 26, as a massive storm system cranked its way through the Midwest and Great Lakes, giving the epic blizzard to areas just northwest of the track of the storm’s center. But this track to New England’s west put us here in the warm side, and oh was it warm. Into the 60s we went with heavy rain and southeasterly gales. It was another day of water in the basement and one of the only days I remember school being cancelled due to a rain event. But with so much snow on the ground from six days earlier, the water had limited options of draining and the flooding was pretty significant. But those tropical temperatures, rain, and wind, took pretty much the entirety of the snow from the major storms before it and wiped it out. Official snowcover was reduced to 0 to 3 inches across much of eastern Massachusetts by the time the January 26 storm was done. But when that storm was done, it was not exiting without drama. By the end of the day the sun was out brightly, the wind had switched direction, coming from the northwest, and bitterly cold air that had once helped create the blizzard in the Midwest was now dropping the temperatures here in my home city from the 60s during that morning to the teens that night, with wind chills below zero. Amazing.

As the month drew to a close, its final days were on the quiet side but arctic cold had taken hold and you just knew that winter was not done playing with us like a cat batting a new toy around. It was just taking a little snooze, storm-wise, and leaving us with a very cold reminder that it wasn’t going anywhere soon…

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I’ll be posting another special blog about the Blizzard of 1978 on the anniversary of that storm in early February. I hope you enjoyed this look back at January 1978!

Saturday Forecast

9:26AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 20-24)
The weekend will be dominated by a westerly flow and mild air and will eliminate the existing snow cover (where it is) once again, except for some of the larger piles remaining from the above normal snowfall of early winter, and some of the snow cover protected by woods or on north-facing slopes of hills where it was deeper and persisted from previous events. “Forget the snow, tell me about the Patriots game!” If you say that, then I can’t tell you about Tom Brady’s status but I can tell you that the game will be played in dry weather with a game time temperature about 45 degrees and that it will cool to the upper 30s by the end of the game with generally light westerly breezes. However, there is colder air on the way and will arrive via a cold front from the north in the early hours of Monday. This front will not get too far south of the region but will get far enough to allow the colder air in as a storm system heads for the Great Lakes, where it will traverse on its way to passing north of New England by later Tuesday. But the cold air that moves in will set the stage for some snow and sleet at least over interior southern New England for a time on Monday night before it warms enough for rain in all areas Tuesday. Beyond this, windy, and colder conditions will return as dry weather arrives behind the departing system for the middle of next week. Forecast details…
TODAY: Partly cloudy with most clouds through mid morning. Highs 45-52. Wind W 10-15 MPH, gusts to 20 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 28-35. Wind W 5-10 MPH, gusts to 15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy with most sun through mid afternoon. Highs 43-50. Wind W 5-10 MPH, gusts to 15 MPH.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 25-32. Wind W up to 10 MPH shifting to N.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Rain coast, rain/sleet/snow interior at night. Highs 35-42. Wind N to NE up to 10 MPH.
TUESDAY: Cloudy. Rain likely. Lows from the upper 20s to middle 30s. Highs in the 40s to lower 50s.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and windy. Temperatures falling from the 40s to the 20s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 25-29)
Fair, cold start then moderating trend January 25-27 as high pressure dominates and slips off to the east by later in the period. Early indications are for low pressure tracking north of the region and a mild rain or rain shower event January 28 followed by a quick cool-down and windy weather at the end of the period.

DAYS 11-15 (JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 3)
A fair/cold end to January and a milder and unsettled start to February is the very early call for this period.

Friday Forecast

7:32AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 19-23)
We have made it through the “front-loaded” portion of the winter and have reached the point of the relaxing weather pattern. It doesn’t mean winter is over and spring is here. It doesn’t mean we’re done with cold air and threats of wintry precipitation. It does mean we’re in a new weather pattern, and the next 5 days will preview that with a cycle of fair weather, starting chilly but moderating, then ending unsettled with a storm tracking northwest of the region. However before that storm does that, a cold front will slip southward, putting an end to the weekend warm-up with a chilly Monday and may set up inland areas to see some snow/sleet/ice before that mild air returns. Forecast details…
TODAY: Partly cloudy. Highs 33-40. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 23-30. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 45-52. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 28-35. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 42-49. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Chance of late-day or nighttime rain/drizzle except a period of snow/sleet/ice possible interior. Lows from the upper 20s to lower 30s. Highs from the middle 30s to lower 40s.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Rain showers likely. Temperatures rising through the 40s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 24-28)
Fair/windy/colder January 24. Fair/chilly/tranquil January 25. Fair and milder January 26-27. Unsettled and mild January 28.

DAYS 11-15 (JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 2)
Fair, cooler start, moderation, then unsettled weather late in the period.

Thursday Forecast

7:38AM

DAYS 1-5 (JANUARY 18-22)
Watch for icy untreated surfaces this morning! A combination of sunshine and very dry air today will help reduce the amount of this ice so that when it gets cold again tonight there will be less of it. A disturbance well pass through the region early Friday with perhaps a brief passing snow shower mainly northern MA and southern NH with otherwise a sun/cloud mix during the day. After this a weekend warm-up will erase any remaining ice and snow on the ground. A cold front will slip through from the north by early Monday turning it chilly again and clouds will be dominant, with maybe even a touch of very light rain or sleet. Forecast details…
TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 28-35. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 15-22. Wind light W.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Slight risk of a snow shower northern MA and southern NH early. Highs 30-37. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 20-27. Wind light W.
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs 44-51. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy. Lows from the middle 20s to lower 30s. Highs from the middle 40s to lower 50s.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Lows from the lower to middle 30s. Highs from the upper 30s to lower 40s.

DAYS 6-10 (JANUARY 23-27)
A milder wet day January 23. Windy and colder January 24. Fair with a moderating trend thereafter.

DAYS 11-15 (JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 1)
A pattern somewhat similar with a milder/wet start, brief chill-down, then moderation.