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Storm-Free For Many Days

We've endured two significant storms since just last Wednesday night so we deserve a break in the action and that is exactly what we'll have for more than a week. After Thursday's gales and flooding of streets and coastal communities plus a bonanza of snow over the western and northern mountains, yesterday's storm contained a very different cast of characters. While the amount of snow was a minimal 1-4"along the immediate coast, the shield of heaviest snow was much closer to Boston in this storm. It's about time the plow guys got some work! The jackpot zone of 9-13" was located over northern CT, northwestern RI and south central MA into MetroWest. Check out the list of snowfall reports from the National Weather Service. The storm is crossing Nova Scotia this morning and on its back side, the wind will be howling today with gusts up to 35-45 mph so a WIND ADVISORY has been issued from this morning into much of tonight. Expect varying amounts of clouds and spells of sunshine as temperatures struggle to reach 30 degrees. It will be blustery at Gillette Stadium as the Pats host the Dolphins. It will feel like 5-15 degrees with the gusty wind. Under a moonlit sky, the temperatures will drop to the middle to upper teens many areas then rise up to near 32 tomorrow. A weak disturbance south of the region will spread some high cloudiness across southern New England tomorrow so expect the sunshine to be filtered to perhaps dimmed at times but the wind will less harsh. For First Night celebrations, it will be chilly but not frigid as the temperature will hold nearly steady around 31-32 degrees all evening to past midnight as a southwesterly breeze blows at 8-18 mph.

Looking ahead to 2013, the first day will be partly cloudy with a risk of a few spotty flurries mainly over the mountains and hills as a cold front shifts southward across the region. A second frontal boundary will follow the same route on Wednesday when it will probably fail to reach the upper 20s. The next cold front is destined to pass through next Saturday without much notice other than a couple of flurries and a brisk wind. The northern jet stream will dominate the pattern for the next week or more. There will be little contribution from the southern stream which injects energy and moisture. As a result, we will experience a quiet but cold period for many days.

Skiers and boarders are rejoicing with the bonanza of snow this week. All areas are sporting powder and packed powder primary surfaces but not all areas have 100% of their trails open. Some of the steeper non-snowmaking glades are still closed but, overall, conditions are superb. Dress appropriately for cold and windy weather for the next several day. There will only be scattered flurries and perhaps a few heavier snow showers over the mountains in the days ahead as a couple of fronts move through. Snowmaking will continue at most resorts. Have a happy and safe time on the slopes!

If conditions warrant any change in this weather story, I will post an update this evening. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of the long holiday weekend and all of us here in the WBZ AccuWeather Center wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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