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Summary: The standing wave jet stream trough which has kept us in the deep freeze for the last few weeks is finally starting to flatten out as the jet stream becomes more zonally oriented. As a result, our temperatures will be more moderate for the next several days. As a trade off, skies will be cloudier and our weather more murky as the jet stream settles over the region.

The surface high pressure system which brought us sunny skies for the past few days will weaken and slide to our east from tonight into Saturday morning. Therefore, there will be considerable cloudiness later tonight through Friday, but no threat of precipitation. A weak surface low will track to our northwest, through the Ohio Valley and the eastern Great Lakes Saturday and Saturday night. It will drag its warm front through the region on Saturday. There will not be much “forcing” or moisture with this weak system so the warmer air overrunning the colder air at the surface will only generate limited, if any, precipitation on Saturday and Saturday night. Any light precipitation will be in the form of snow in the morning, with little if any accumulation, and then will transition to sleet, freezing rain and rain Saturday afternoon and evening. Precipitation may remain freezing rain over the elevated terrain Saturday night. Temperatures will be very close to freezing, if not above, so I do not think there will be much in the way of problems with any limited frozen precipitation on Saturday and Saturday evening.

We will briefly be in the “warm sector” of the storm Saturday night and early Sunday but it will not get particularly warm as it will be difficult to scrape away the cold, dense air hugging close to the ground. Still, it will feel downright balmy over the next several days with temperatures reaching the 30s for a good part of Friday through Sunday. The weak surface low will then drag its cold front through on Sunday with only the chance of a few scattered rain showers. It will then turn colder (however, not nearly as cold as it has been), with a return to at least partly sunny skies, on Monday and Tuesday as surface high pressure builds back in as the jet stream shifts just to our south and the associated cold front stalls and becomes stationary. A coastal storm will develop along the front Monday night and Tuesday but should track by well to our south. This will set the stage for what looks to be a stronger, but messy storm on Tuesday night and Wednesday. It still looks like this storm will track by to our northwest, but it will be close. Right now it looks like some accumulating snow Tuesday night, changing to sleet and freezing rain on Wednesday.

Thursday Night

Clear early, then increasing clouds. Not as cold as recent nights

Low temperatures near 10, low teens in South County and upper single digits over the elevated terrain.

Southerly winds at 5-10 mph this evening, becoming southwesterly at 8-12 mph after midnight.

Friday

Partly sunny and milder.

High temperatures in the low 30s in Pittsfield; low to mid 30s in Adams, NorthAdams, Williamstown, Lee and Stockbridge; mid 30s in Great Barrington and Sheffield and; near 30 over the elevated terrain.

Southwesterly winds at 5-10 mph in the morning, shifting to westerly in the afternoon.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy with a chance of a snow flurry or snow shower toward daybreak. Probability of precipitation 30%. No accumulation expected.

Low temperatures generally in the low 20s.

Winds light and variable.

Saturday

Overcast with the chance of scattered snow flurries or snow showers in the morning, transitioning to the chance of light sleet or freezing rain showers or freezing drizzle in the afternoon. Any precipitation may change to plain rain, particularly in valley locations. Probability of precipitation 40%. Little if any snow and/or ice accumulation.

High temperatures in the low 30s in Pittsfield; low to mid 30s in Adams, NorthAdams, Williamstown, Lee and Stockbridge; mid 30s in Great Barrington and Sheffield and; upper 20s to near 30 over the elevated terrain.

Southerly winds at 5-10 mph, shifting to southeasterly late.