Last week I was able to kick off my shoes, lean back in my weather chair (yes weather chair) and put my feet up! Well, I didn't really do that but metaphorically I did because of the quiet weather. If you recall we had nine straight days of dry weather in Burlington. Now it's time to get back to work though.
We've entered a bit of a busy weather pattern for the last week of November. The end of the month will end how it began, mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Except we'll see more snow on the bookend of this side of November, as colder air flows in from Canada. In fact, Burlington will likely see its stretch of 19 consecutive 'warmer than average months' come to an end in a few days as forecast temperatures are for below average readings. We'll write more on that next week.
We've got a highway over us. The jet stream is directly overhead and because of that, we're seeing a lot of storm systems in a short amount of time. The jet stream generally separates the warm and the cool air, and is the conveyor belt for storm systems to drive through areas. That area is here in New England. We'll have accumulating snow across a portion of New England almost every day this week, and even Saturday the first of December. The difference from last week is that the jet is directly overhead now, compared to when it was farther north of us last week. That left us in the warmer and drier section of the weather pattern.
As I mentioned before, we'll have several quick-moving storm systems come through. Generally in early winter, when you have a moderate west-east flow of cold air over warmer water temperatures, the result is lake effect snow showers. That is what northern New York and Vermont will see Tuesday, Nov. 27. Like clockwork another storm will cruise through both Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the 28th and 29th of Nov. However because each system will be coming from a relatively 'dry' area of southern Canada and the northern Midwest, each event will produce minor accumulations of a coating to two inches.
So it's time to get busy! A little more work for me technically but it's good to get in winter mode. Speaking of winter mode, Chief Meteorologist Kerrin Jeromin and myself will be going to the National Weather Service later this week. The agency is holding its annual winter weather workshop. I'll write more on how that goes later this week. Also it's a good time to get in 'winter mode' for driving. I always have to tell myself to get up a little earlier each day so I don't have to rush and I can take my time in these wintry times.
-Meteorologist Steve Glazier
Photos on left courtesy:
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
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