2 weeks Ago
The transition to spring, typically on-again, off-again in our area, is proving to be especially hit or miss this year. An inch or two of wet snow whitened the landscape in much of Berkshire County early Friday, though it melted quickly by mid-morning. And though it's rare for mid-April, the National Weather Service posted a winter weather advisory for Saturday until 2 p.
m. with wet snow possibly totaling as much as 2 to 4 inches in the higher elevations, with a brief period of morning sleet mixing in countywide. Snowfall rates could briefly reach up to an inch per hour during mid- to late-morning, according to the NWS advisory from the Albany office.
Low temperatures before dawn were expected to approach 32 degrees. An early morning snowfall, as seen in downtown Lenox, cloaked the landscape in wintry white in parts of the Berkshires early Friday. The National Weather Service predicted another round of light to moderate snow for early Saturday before temperatures return closer to normal.
The culprit is a coastal storm developing off New Jersey, setting off a plume of Atlantic moisture our way. The higher terrain will have the best chance for snow early on, especially above 1,000 feet. Typically, it has to snow hard during the day to accumulate on roads during the middle of April, according to AccuWeather.
com senior meteorologist Dave Dombek. But even light to moderate snow that falls at night or first thing in the morning can cause temporary slippery conditions, he pointed out in an online post. By early Saturday afternoon, as the storm passes east of the Gulf of Maine, any remaining snow or sleet will be winding down as temperatures approach 40 — nearly 15 degrees below the normal low-50s high.
Sunshine returns on Sunday with a warmup into the 50s, followed by seasonably mild, dry conditions on Monday before rain showers are expected late at night into Tuesday, accompanied by strong winds. More rain is expected next Friday, with sunshine returning for Easter Sunday, according to the long-range forecast. It’s worth noting that the moisture is beneficial to prevent potential brushfires in our woodlands.
For the first time this year, the U.S. Drought Monitor has moved part of Berkshire County — the western half — out of the abnormally dry category.
The extended outlook for April 19 through April 25 from the Climate Prediction Center indicates below normal temperatures and rainfall near to slightly above normal. Here’s a trip down Memory Lane you might want to avoid: Some of you may remember May 9, 1977, the Mother’s Day storm when a shocking 8 inches set a record at that time for springtime snowfall. On May 18, 2002, that record was broken by the latest snowfall on record — 2 inches on the day of the Wahconah Regional High School prom.
Snowflakes also fell in mid-May 2019. Saturday: A wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow, high in the mid-30s; new snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Saturday Night: Rain showers, possibly mixing with snow late at night before gradually ending, low near freezing.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, near 50. Partial clearing at night, low in the mid-30s. Monday: Mostly sunny, upper 50s; mostly cloudy, chance of showers overnight, mid-40s.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy, chance of showers, mid-50s. Mostly cloudy at night, near 30. Wednesday: Partly sunny, low 40s; some cloudiness after dark, low 25-30.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, near 50. Clouds return at night, low around 30. Friday: Rain, near 50, down to mid-30s overnight.
Saturday (April 19): Cloudy, showers, upper 40s. Sunday (April 20/Easter): Plenty of sunshine, mid-50s. Sources: National Weather Service and AccuWeather.
com forecasts for Berkshire County..
