After near record snowfall and below average temperatures in December, January put the brakes on the snow and the cold. Not only was it slightly warmer than average but Boston only received 8.3" of snow. That's more than five inches below average.

February is beginning with a lot of wet weather but most of it is in the form of rain. The start of the month looks mild with no snow storms in sight. We'll have to wait and see how long this mild pattern sticks around.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

This winter started out to be a very snowy one.
So far this winter Boston has seen 36 inches of snowfall.
The average amount for this point in the winter
is 23 inches.

Things are going to change around here. Many areas
north and west of the city have had a snow cover that
started in early December.The long range computer models
indicate that in the next few weeks we will be on the warmer and
rainier side of the up and coming storms.We are likely to
be in a wet and mild weather pattern for a while.

Dick Albert

Cape Cod Snow...Hard To get...Easy To Lose

The 8-12" of snow that fell on Cape Cod Sunday afternoon and night has been melting steadily, as a milder pattern takes hold. It takes just the right set-up to get big snows on Cape Cod, and, it doesn't happen that often. Because Cape Cod is surrounded by ocean water, where ocean water temperatures always remain above 32 degrees, it is only when a very cold air mass is in place and a storm takes just the right track that Cape Cod gets much snow. And, even when it happens, the snow usually stays on the ground for a much shorter period of time than elsewhere in New England, for the same reason....being surrounded by relatively mild ocean water temperatures. Of course, during late spring and early summer, the ocean is cooler than the warming land, and, during that time of the year, Cape Cod is usually cooler than other areas in New England.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

What a difference just a few miles make! The snow this past Sunday was not much more than a nuisance for most. However, a few locals on the Cape and the southeast coast might beg to differ with you. Communities such as Plymouth, Sandwich, and Provincetown received as much as 12 to 14 inches of snow. This heavy snow band was only 8 to 10 miles wide. That means that you could drive from one town to the next and go from a foot of snow to barely a dusting! The cause of this was a very intense ocean storm. Our area was just on the fringes and the Cape and Islands extend the farthest out into the ocean. Our next storm will be almost as intense, however with temperatures on the rise and the system moving to our west, the outcome this time will be mainly rain late tonight and early tomorrow.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

Bombogenesis is a storm to the extreme. We usually see it when a storm forms over the Atlantic ocean and literally explodes. Going from a minor storm to a major one in less than 24-hours. Many of the major nor'easters that have impacted New England are the result of bombogenesis. You'll often hear a forecaster say the storm is, "bombing out". It means that the system is developing so fast, it's more like an explosion in the atmosphere.
These "bombs" often develop as low pressure moves off the East Coast in the cooler months. With relatively warmer water to feed the storm they intensify rapidly. These storms can produce hurricane strength winds and cover a large area. The Blizzard of 78 was the result of bombogenesis.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB

Overall, January has been a fairly quiet month. Boston has only had one day with measurable snowfall beyond a trace. That happened on the 14th when Boston received seven inches of snow.

We haven't had a long stretch of excessive cold either. While today's temperatures will stay well below the average of 36 degrees, the trend is to warm back up this weekend. We're in for a bit of a roller coaster ride in the coming weeks, quickly alternating between warmer than normal and colder than normal temperatures.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

December was very snowy and cold. Our snowfall was just
shy of an all time record. The daily temperatures averaged over 2 degrees below
normal.January has been a different story.Temperatures have averaged over 5 degrees
above normal.

However, there is a cold front lurking to the west of us and it's
coming through today.Not only will this bring frigid temperatures
through Saturday morning,but snow flakes will fly Thursday afternoon
into Friday morning.The best chance of accumulating snow
will be over the Cape and the Islands.

Dick Albert

The Length Of Day and Strength Of Cold

Every day is getting longer and the sun is getting stronger, but we are still a long way from the feel of spring. Why is this?
Well, there's another expression that we use at this time of the year..."As The Days Lengthen, The Cold Strengthens."
It is this expression that rings true most of the time during January and early February. That is because, even though the rays of the sun are getting a bit more direct each day, it's not enough to offset the weight of cold, heavy air masses coming out of Canada and overspreading much of The United States.
Another such air mass will be with us Thursday night through Friday night, which will be another very cold period of time.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

We are now gaining about two more minutes of daylight
every day.The earliest sunsets were at 4:12pm in mid December.
Today the sun sets at 4;45PM. We have gained a hefty 33 minutes
of daylight. By Febrruary 1st, the sun sets at 4:58PM.By the end of
February, the sun sets at 5:34PM. The best news of all, Daylight Saving Time
starts the second Sunday in March when the sun will set close to 7 O'clock.The
latest sunsets occur in late June at 8:26PM.

Dick Albert

Did you know that falling temperatures translates into falling fuel economy in your car? The main reason has to do with friction. Fluids within your car, from motor oil to transmission fluid, all become more viscous or thicker as the temperatures drop. They become harder to pump, thus making the engine work that much harder. Experts say not to bother warming up your car in the driveway, that just wastes fuel. Instead, just drive your car to warm it up. All vehicles have an optimum running temperature, and the colder it is, the longer it takes your car to reach that level. You also want to check the air pressure in your tires. Low tire pressure will also translate in to lower fuel economy.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

With the cold air returning to New England, a new hazard has developed for mariners. Freezing Sea Spray. As ocean going vessels venture out of port, the combination of wind and rolling seas, translates into ships kicking up large amounts of spray. This time of year, those splashes of water quickly freeze on a boat. The ice can get very thick and add tons of weight to a vessel. If a boat becomes top heavy from all this ice it can capsize. Many ships have been lost when ice builds up on a boat's superstructure. It becomes top heavy. This is especially dangerous for fish vessels, since there is so much exposed area for the accretion of ice. Even if a boat doesn't capsize it can become difficult to maneuver and roll to extremes side-to-side.

When conditions become dangerous mariners should seek port immediately. Those who stay out longer usually pack a supply of baseball bats. Breaking up the ice with a "Louisville Slugger" is often the best method to avoid disaster.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB-TV

Bitter cold air will arrive Sunday just as the Patriots take the field at Gillette Stadium for the AFC championship game. If you plan to be at the game, or outside for any length of time, make sure you dress for sub-zero wind chills.

Areas most likely to develop frostbite are the ears, nose, hands and feet. The first signs of frostbite include a tingling sensation followed by numbness. The skin gets hard, pale and cold when it's frostbitten. If you experience any of these symptoms, whether it's this weekend or this winter, make sure you get medical help immediately.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

The old windchill factor will come into play this weekend
especially at Foxboro for the Patriots game. The colder the temperatures,
the faster the winds, the lower the windchill temperatures.Our bodies lose heat
more rapidly as the wind increases.In addition, there could be some snow Saturday
night or Sunday morning before the game.

Frigid air will be invading from Canada as the day progresses. The temperatures
will fall though the teens and the winds could gust to 30 mph.That means that
spectators and fans alike will be chilled with air that feels below zero!!!


Dick Albert

The Importance Of The Water Content Of Snow

On average, the snow to rain ratio is 10 to 1, meaning 10" of snow = 1" of rain. However, the ratio during this past Monday morning's storm was 10" of snow =1.5 inches of rain. In other words, there was a much higher moisture content to the snow. When that happens, the heavy, wet snow clings to everything, including shrubbery, trees and tree limbs. Sometimes, the weight of the heavy, wet snow can be too much, resulting in downed trees limbs and/or trees, and, that is exactly what happened this past Monday morning. This heavy, wet snow occurs when temperatures are just barely cold enough for snow. When temperatures are very cold and it snows, the snow is much lighter and fluffier.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Going From Mild Temperatures To Snow

Even though we had a mild weekend, we are dealing with a snowstorm today (Monday, 1/14/08). Turnarounds like this are not uncommon.
The greatest example occurred in 1997. On Easter Sunday, March 30, 1997, the temperature reached 63 degrees in Boston. Yet one day later, Monday, March 31, a major snowstorm hit that continued into Tuesday, April 1, 1997. By the time it was over, 25.4" fell in Boston. That is over 2 feet of snow, and is in the top 5 snowfalls of all time in Boston. It's another example of the weather extremes we are capable of experiencing here in the Boston area.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

We can't forecast the weather without looking at the upper levels of our atmosphere and the jet stream. The jet stream is a fast moving current of air that, in part, steers our storms across the United states. It divides colder air to the north from warmer air to the south. It flows in a general west to east direction but more often forms waves, or troughs and ridges.

A ridge in the jet stream has allowed warm air into New England these last few days. Slowly, the ridge will break down, returning us to a colder, winter pattern this weekend.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

Temperatures this week continue to be way warmer
than the average high of 37 degrees. The snow is melting fast.
However, winter is far from over.

If it's an average winter,the Boston area will get more than
two more feet of additional snowfall.The average for January is 13.5 inches.
In February and March,we can expect about 19 inches of fluff.

We also will have many more days with low temperatures in the
single digits and the teens.In addition,windchills will make it feel below
on many occasions before Springtimes arrives.

Dick Albert

Similar Early January Weather In 2007 and 2008

On Tuesday, January 8th Boston reached a record high of 67 degrees. Yet, almost a year ago to the day (Jan.6, 2007), Boston had a record high temperature of 69 degrees.
But, that is where the similarity ends. A year ago in December, Boston had no snow. But, this December, Boston had almost a record breaking snowy month, as 27.7" fell. As far as this January thaw is concerned, it has come somewhat early. According to past records, the most likely time for a January thaw is around the third week of January. But, of course, as we have just seen, this is not always the case. The rest of this week will remain mild (but not as warm as the past few days), but by the second half of the upcoming weekend, colder and more seasonable temperatures will have returned, and will likely stick around for a while.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Although most of us in our thirties and beyond truly recall only one blizzard, the February Blizzard of 1978, the “younger” generation might remember another that occurred on this day in 1996. The Blizzard of ’96 dropped heavy snow over a three day period (Jan 6th-8th) and crippled most of the major east coast cities. Over two feet of snow fell in Washington DC (24.6”), 22.5” in Baltimore, 30.7” in Philadelphia, 27.5” in New York City, and 18.2” in Boston. Part of the Appalachian Mountains had close to four feet of snow! Quite a contrast this year with temperatures expected to be near 70 today in Washington DC near 60 here in the Boston area.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

With the mild weather, everyone is talking about this "January Thaw". It seems like we get a thaw every winter, but is it real or merely a figment of our imagination?
If you examine weather records you'll notice that our coldest time of the year is around January 21st. This is an average. However, during the course of a winter there are a number of up and down temperature cycles. Typically during a winter you can expect a week of above normal temperatures, followed or proceeded by colder than normal weather. These cycles can vary by 10-degrees on the warm side or the cold side. We eventually grow accustomed to the cold and expect it. So when it does warm up in one of these cycles, it's more noticeable. Statistically the "January Thaw" takes place in late January, so maybe this warm spell isn't the end of mild weather for January.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist

Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the great ice storm that devastated parts of the northeast.

The storm began on January fifth and didn't end until the ninth. Heavy rain fell over a shallow layer of cold, dense air creating a massive freezing rain event. Massachusetts suffered little compared with northern states. Three inches of ice accumulated in parts of northern New England. Maine was hit especially hard. At one point, 80 percent of homes were without electricity. Thousands of trees were either damaged or lost to the storm. It's estimated the storm did a half billion dollars in damage.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

I've got cold news and warm news.
First, the cold news.This morning was the
coldest morning of this season and it will continue on the
frigid side through most of Friday.

Now,the warm news. A January thaw is on the way.
Traditionally, the January thaw occurs late in the month.
This time around it will be different. It will warm up
considerably over the weekend with temperatures
reaching into the 40s. Next week , we could see
temperatures soaring to near 60 degrees!!

Remember, winter is not over. It's just a little
relief from the cold and snow.

Dick Albert