Give no quarter, take no quarter.
Seems to be the mantra for this winter. And with a frigid high pressure system delivering another sub zero start for some this morning, it seems like there’s no end in sight.
Until you look at the seven day forecast.
50s sprouting like jonquils? In this pattern, we seem delusional.
Hardly. Didn’t you see the snowbanks melting in the sun? It’s strong, and it’s just waiting for a chance to prove it. Enter Saturday, with it’s limited sun and a milder airmass. And just watch the temperature rise.
Just like in the blog after the near blizzard a few weeks back, I believe we’ve reached another milestone. While there may be cold days ahead – or even more snow next week – I see this as winter’s final act. No longer will we string together sub zero mornings, deep snowpack, and a numbing 7 day. Frost heaves and potholes may worsen, but they’ll soon be on the decline as the frost comes completely out of the ground. The sunny days will carry us through the cold snaps, and spring will finally take root. It’s the inevitable change of the season – or in the words or Ron Burgundy, “It’s science.”
But even as I type this, we face the specter of another major storm next week.
One of the major players in this storm’s outcome is that very element we saw so much of today: the solar input. How much warming will we experience before it hits? How much warming will it bring? We DO know that as it journeys through the South, this storm will not be as cold (and therefore there won’t carry as much snow) as in previous events. This is major for us. You need heavy precipitation to sequester the cold air and keep the snow accumulating this deep into March. Small events just won’t cut it. That said, as it appears now, this one may not have that problem. It’s big, it’s strong, and it’s capable of delivering A LOT of snow. Right now, it falls in the Wed. PM to Thu. PM time frame – but that will likely change this far out..
For now, let us do the worrying. Just kick back and watch the thaw.
Pete