Storm wrapping up,some thoughts on the week ahead

Snow will continue to affect the region through tonight as the coastal low winds up in the Gulf of Maine. Low pressure could fall to near 970mb tonight. This will generate backlash snow showers that could bring an inch or two of accumulation. So all in all, looking at around 8 inches by the end of the storm. In addition, gusty winds will become an issue later this afternoon and tonight. All information on near term weather associated with the storm will be continue to be covered in the Winter Weather Outlook.

With low pressure bombing to our east, winds will shift to the north bringing back the cold air that the primary low scoured out last night. High today, with a rather warm start, will reach the low 30's.

High pressure will move south tomorrow and renew a northwesterly flow into the region. Highs will be in the upper twenties tomorrow and Wednesday with lows dropping back into the lower teens.

The storm system in the Northwestern states will move northward, meanwhile a polar short wave will drop south into the plains states and into the Mid Atlantic region. However, models have good agreement on this being a transient trough and not bringing much in the way of snow. Another shot of cold air enters the region behind the system for Wednesday Night and Thursday before another storm, this one from the Pacific, enters the east. This may bring some light snowfall to the area. Pacific flow behind the storm warms us up into the 30's for the weekend and the start of the next week.

In the long term, seeing not much in the way of -NAO characteristics in the models. -PNA trough will sit firm in the west, with ridging in the southeast, which means no arctic air expected through at least the 15th. Ensembles still drop the AO to around -2SD, but have been doing so for a while without verification. For the latter half of December, GFS model develops a ridge in the southwest which would allow for at the potential for some colder and snowier conditions. However the SW ridge is not something to bank on considering La Nina. We need the NAO to go negative. Oh, the 06z also has a major snow storm at 384 hours (12/19)... dont hold your breath though.