World and Nation

Snowfall-deficient precipitation for today

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Situation for Noon Eastern Time, Friday, February 17, 2012

While the second half of January brought some hope for snow-lovers across New England, the past two weeks have not been so promising. The same story is true for today as southerly flow is bringing in moisture, rainfall, and above-average temperatures. This unusual weather can be explained through the February jet stream (i.e. storm track), which has directed the most intense storms through Canada and prevented others from moving toward New England. Sometimes the jet has also split itself, allowing systems to pass to our south and leave New England free of any precipitation.

During the holiday weekend, after the passage of a cold front tonight, another system will move past New England well to the south. The system should only bring clouds to the area. But looking toward the future, one weather model predicts a nor’easter about a week from today. While this seems promising for snow enthusiasts, do take that prediction with a grain of salt. The margin of error grows rapidly when forecasting that far in advance.