Today marks the end of the Atlantic hurricane season. It was considered an average year, with 14 named storms, six of which became hurricanes, two considered major. A major hurricane is a Category Three or greater with winds at least 111mph. This is the fewest number of major storms since 1997.

Only one hurricane struck the United States. Humberto hit Texas as a Category One September 13th, killing one person and doing an estimated 50 million dollars in damage.

Although early forecasts predicted an above average season, we can not become complacent. We are still in what's considered an above average cycle so apathy or overconfidence that a major hurricane won't strike the U.S. in the future could lead to disastrous results.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

December arrives on Saturday. This Is the beginning of meteorological winter,
that is, the months of December,January and February.

December starts out with an average high temperature of 46 degrees.
But,by the end of the month, the average high is down to the mid
to upper 30s.The expected snowfall is 8 inches in Boston,less to the
southeast and more to the north and west.

This weekend,we will have a taste of winter for sure with frigid temperatures
Saturday into Sunday.Then a storm system will bring us snow sunday evening
that will mix with and turn to rain.

Dick Albert

Have Leaves Been On Some Trees Unusually Long

Has it seemed to you that some leaves have been staying on some trees for an unusually long time this fall season?
Have you been raking and raking and raking for weeks, and still the job is not completely done?
If your answer is yes to both questions, it's more than just your imagination, and you have plenty of company as well.
Part of the reason goes back to the record-breaking warmth of October, which delayed the fall foliage season, as well as the very dry conditions of August through October, which stressed some trees (early color change and leaf drop) and confused and delayed others. Mother Nature is finally playing catch-up, and the coldest temperatures of the season so far this coming Saturday night should allow most of the remaining leaves to finally fall.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

It’s that holiday time of year with lots of shopping, eating and visiting friends and family. Another iconic symbol of this time of year is a warm and glowing fire. While a fire can be very inviting on a chilly winter night, it is also the least efficient when it comes to heating your home. A roaring fire can send as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air out your chimney per hour. That’s enough to fill over 300,000 2-liter bottles! The more important information is that while all that heat is heading out the chimney, cold air is being drawn into your house to replace that escaping air. Although today will start off very mild (near 60), the chilly air will be settling in by afternoon and for the remainder of the week.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

Raindrops are interesting. We all think of them as teardrop shaped. This "round at the bottom-narrow at the top" is often shown in cartoons, and most people think that's the real shape of a raindrop. Only dripping water from something like a faucet has that shape. A real rain drop in the atmosphere looks different depending on its size. Small rain drops are almost perfectly spherical. An average rain drop is round but with a flat bottom. Under magnification it looks like a hamburger. A very large rain drop is shaped like a parachute. Most rain drops are about 2-mm in diameter. However, a report from Brazil in 2004 measured a 10-mm raindrop. So instead of saying, "it's raining cats and dogs" maybe we should say "it's raining cheeseburgers".

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB

After a very warm Thanksgiving, temperatures have dropped significantly across New England. So far, temperatures for the month are slightly below average. That's quite a difference from a year ago when we experienced the fourth warmest November on record. No snow was recorded last year while this year we had our first trace of snow in Boston on the 20th.

Now, the cold has returned and Boston could have it's coldest morning this month tomorrow. Temperatures will drop into the mid 20's and will remain in the 30's during the day. If you haven't prepared for winter, now is the time. I don't expect to see many more days like yesterday for a while.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

Most of us picture ourselves bundled up at Thanksgiving morning football games, and, indeed sometimes that is the case. We've had everything from snow, to ice to rain on some Thanksgivings past, and we've been as cold as the teens and as high as 60+. But, this time around, it looks like we will be on the mild side, perhaps even feeling a bit springlike (50s to around 60), especially south of Boston. But, it may be somewhat cooler across northern Ma. & southern N.H., where temperatures may hold in the 40s. While the threat of showers or a touch of drizzle cannot be ruled out, there is a good chance that showers will hold off until after the games are played. As for the rest of Thanksgiving weekend (Friday thru Sunday), expect much chillier temperatures, but, basically dry conditions will prevail.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Have you ever heard someone say, “It smells like snow”? Maybe you’ve experienced this scent yourself and had several “naysayers” out there mock you. However, there is a partial scientific explanation. That cold, fresh scent typically occurs on a chilly and cloudy winter’s day. Clouds usually signify a storm approaching and that means the pressure is falling and air density is also increasing. This dense air will settle closer to the ground and scents become more concentrated which add to your heightened sense of smell. Temperatures will be climbing over the next 48 hours for Thanksgiving travel, but colder air will be settling back in for the long holiday weekend.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

We're more familiar with the Lake Effect Snow around the Great Lakes. Places like Buffalo, New York can pick up 2-feet of snow overnight. A similar phenomenon is Ocean Effect Snow. It often impacts the east facing coast of Massachusetts. Ocean Effect Snow is produced when cold air moves across a large expanse of warmer water. The cold dry northeast wind picks up moisture from the ocean and deposits it as snow over the North and South Shore as well as the Cape.
This same effect can enhance snowfall during a winter snow storm. Inland areas may receive a few inches, but along the coast snowfall totals can quickly pile up. These areas of heavy snow are typically found in bands and only a few miles away snow totals can drop off dramatically.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB

The cold weather has returned to the northeast and now that we're halfway through the month of November, it's time to start thinking about winter weather.

Often, we talk of sleet and freezing rain during the winter season. Sleet occurs when rain refreezes before it hits the ground. You'll often see the ice pellets bounce when they hit the ground.

Freezing rain is rain that encounters a shallow layer of cold air at the surface. It freezes on contact creating an icy layer. It's important to be aware of the potential for freezing rain as it's appearance is no different than rain but the resulting ice can be dangerous.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

Ski Country Snow On The Way

Even though we will be starting Thursday off in a very mild way in Boston, and rain will eventually move in, colder air will begin to move in beginning Thursday night, leading to colder times for the end of the week and the weekend. But, in the ski areas of northern and western New England, rain will change to snow and flurries during Thursday night and Friday, with the highest elevations picking up some accumulating snow. In addition, the upcoming chilly weather will allow for snowmaking operations to truly get underway. So, if you haven't already done so, get those skis ready, as some of the ski areas of northern and western New England will be looking to open soon. Check with your favorite ski area for specifics.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

November Snow 3 Years Ago

Three years ago on Nov.13th, we awoke to find significant snow on the ground. Boston received 4" of snow, Providence, R.I. received 4" of snow, Worcester received 3" of snow, and Taunton hit the jackpot with 7" of snow. November can sometimes be a bit like March, that is to say, very fickle, with dramatic changes. Over the next 48 hours we will see some of those dramatic changes, as temperatures soar toward 60 degrees today (Wednesday the 14th), followed by rain moving in during the day tomorrow (Thursday the 15th), which may mix with snow in some places overnight Thursday night or early Friday the 16th (before ending), as colder air returns.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Despite our very mild start to fall in New England, our temperatures trended just the opposite way these first few weeks of November. Some cities and towns averaged five to ten degrees above average through September and October. However, temperatures were ten degrees below average this past weekend alone and three to seven degrees for the first ten days of November overall. Although our 80 degree days are most likely over for the season, we will warm up a bit today and tomorrow with highs heading to near 60. The colder but seasonable air will return by the weekend.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

32-years ago today residents of the Great Lakes were cleaning up from a devastating storm. The mess was created by a "Freshwater Fury". A storm that is much like our nor'easters but occurring over the Great Lakes of the United States. These usually develop in the late fall. Winds gusted to 78-mile per hour winds at Grand Rapids, Michigan and in Sault Ste Marie winds roared to 71-miles per hour.
History is full of accounts of these storms. In 1835 254-men were killed in one of these systems as it slammed the Great Lakes. 140-years later, to the date, the "Freshwater Fury of 1975" sunk a large iron ore carrier, the Edmund Fitzgerald. All 29 crew members were lost. The storm inspired the hit song by Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". As the song says, and history backs it up, "Lake Superior never gives up her dead, when the gales of November come early."

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB

We've had very cool mornings lately thanks to efficient radiational cooling.

The emission of heat from the earth becomes more effective in the overnight hours when we have the right conditions. Clear skies allows the heat to radiate back up into the atmosphere. Calm winds prevents any mixing of the air near the surface. Also, dry air allows for greater cooling overnight as any water vapor will trap heat and emit it back towards earth.

We've had some if not all of these conditions the last few nights giving us the coldest mornings so far this season.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

It's November and the chilly winds are starting to blow.
It's time to talk about about Windchill. As the temperatures
go below 40 degrees,we start to think about how cold
it feels.

As the wind increases, heat is taken away from our bodies
at a faster rate.When the temperature is 35 degrees and the wind
is blowing at 15mph,it feels like it's 25 degrees.When the wind increases
to 35mph,it feels like it's 20 degrees.Water freezes when the
air temperature is 32 degrees or below,not when the Windchill
temperature goes below freezing.

Dick Albert,Co-chief meteorologist,WCVB-TV

November Snowfall

Boston only averages about 1" of snow in November. In actuality, there are many Novembers that do not have any measurable snowfall, but every once in a while a significant accumulation can occur. For example, there could be 3 consecutive Novembers with no snow, and then the next November could have a 4" snowstorm. But the average over those 4 years would only be 1"
Meanwhile, we have to keep a careful eye on an ocean storm that will be well off the coast on Saturday. But, even if the storm is too far away to give us much precipitation, we will have a NE wind and a chilly air mass over us. The cold and raw NE wind blowing across The Atlantic could pick up some moisture and cause a bit of wet snow or rain to occur on Saturday...something to watch.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Daylight saving time ended this past weekend as we set our clocks back one hour. As our bodies adjust we will also continue to lose several minutes of daylight each day through the second week of December. It’s this time of year that thousands of people become affected by SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. It typically occurs during the winter months when daylight is at a minimum. Although not fully understood, we do know that sunlight on the skin produces vitamin D which aids the absorption of many nutrients that keep our body chemicals in balance. The best cure or prevention is 30 minutes or more of direct sunlight each day…just the excuse you need to take that break from the daily grind.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

Hurricane Noel is coming up the coast for Saturday. By the time it gets to us it will be called an Extratropical Cyclone. This is not a term you hear that often but it describes how "Noel" becomes a Nor'Easter. A hurricane gets it's strength from the release of energy via condensation at the surface near the center. That's why there is a ring of thunderstorms near the eye. As the system become extratropical the center of the storm losses it's warm core and becomes cold. The storm becomes more coma shaped instead of the circle pattern of a hurricane. The size of the system blows up as the center becomes colder and the system interacts with it's new environment. As soon as this transition to an extratropical cyclone is completed, the storm may re-strengthen. The biggest change takes place on the satellite view. A hurricane may be only a few hundred miles across. The extratropical system that develops will likely become thousands of miles across.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist

October 2007 is now in the history books as one of the warmest in more than one-hundred years of record keeping. Boston's average temperature was 59.2 degrees. That's 5.3 degrees above average making October the fourth warmest on record.

Major cities across southern New England experienced one of their warmest October's as well. Worcester's average temperature of 56.5 degrees ties for the third warmest October. Hartford, CT experienced it's warmest October ever with an average temperature of 59.7 degrees.

While November began warm, we are now back on track with average to slightly below average temperatures for the next week. Only time will tell where November will rate in history

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB