Welcome to spring. I know the world looks like the middle of January for many of us this morning, but just after 7 AM astronomical spring arrived. A question I got quite a bit yesterday was “are we done with winter?” Other folks asked me why this winter has been so different from last year’s. I think the answer to both of those questions is related, so let me briefly address them.I'll be updating my weather forecast for the rest of this week on Twitter at @growingwisdom please follow me there. Feel free to comment or ask questions too.

The first few days of March have brought highly variable weather and this will be the case again the next several. Temperatures will reach the lower 40s in the afternoon and at times there can be a shower or snow shower along with many clouds. Pieces of energy flowing around the northern hemisphere will continue this trend of lots of clouds and the risk for insignificant precipitation. While you could see a few breaks or periods of sunshine, an entire clear day isn't in the forecast through the early part of the week. I'll be updating my weather forecasts on Twitter at @growingwisdom please follow me there.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, which I hope you are, you know that I often talk about the meteorological seasons and how their dates are different than the astronomical ones. In the weather world, we look at winter as being the coldest three months of the year which are December, January and February. This year, meteorological winter was somewhat milder and snowier than other years. I have embedded the seasonal summaries inside the blog for Boston, Worcester, Providence and Hartford. Just click on them to enlarge.

As you know I use models to help me forecast the weather. Over the past several decades our computer models have gotten a lot better and we now can forecast quite accurately days in advance. While we still might have trouble with the rain/snow line, we are not often surprised anymore by a storm simply going out to sea or slamming into the area without warning.

This is National Engineers week. Here in New England we are fortunate to have several companies that, behind the scenes, are helping get weather information to the public on a daily bases. In Andover, Massachusetts, Weather Services International (WSI) is one of the leading providers of software to television stations all across the country. The software programs that are behind the graphics systems you see on TV could very well have been developed at WSI. Back in the early 90s, I worked in quality assurance at WSI testing weather software systems before they were sold. WSI takes the complicated data the models produce and makes it graphically friendly for the public.

Raytheon, another Massachusetts company plays a key role in weather forecasting. The Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) is used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service (NOAA/NWS) to ingest, analyze and disseminate operational weather data including time-sensitive, high-impact warnings. For nearly a decade, Raytheon has been NOAA’s partner for the operations, maintenance and evolution of AWIPS, providing the integrated mission services required to sustain and enhance system performance.

According to Raytheon, "AWIPS plays a critical role in the ability of U.S. forecasters to make weather predictions that can save lives and safeguard property. It’s a complex network of systems that ingest and integrate meteorological, hydrological, satellite, and radar data. Forecasters at more than 130 weather forecast offices and river forecast centers across the nation utilize the capabilities of AWIPS to make increasingly accurate weather, water, and climate predictions, and to dispense rapid, highly reliable warnings and advisories."

The photos that some of this new technology is able to produce is nothing short of stunning. A new program the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is the latest generation of U.S. polar-orbiting satellites designed to monitor global environmental conditions and collect and disseminate data related to weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment. These new satellites are operated and controlled by via Raytheon's Common Ground System (CGS) which was developed for both NASA and NOAA.
Next time you are watching the weather on TV or someone sends you a really cool picture from space there was probably an engineer helping to make it all possible.

I update the forecast and latest gardening tips on Twitter at @growingwisdom please send me your comments.

As you settle back into work, I am sure one of the more popular subjects around the water cooler will be last weekend’s snowstorm. I had an interesting email exchange over the weekend with one of my fellow meteorologists concerning whether or not we should have called this storm a blizzard. This is what meteorologists do. We love to talk about the details of what the models are showing before a storm and then recount what actually happened when it's over. I am incredibly fortunate to be able to chat with some of the best forecasters in the business and what's more, this region is lucky, because we have some of those forecasters working both in front of and behind the scenes of both the public and private sector.

After a spectacular winter day Sunday, our weather turns downhill for the morning commute. Warmer air will move north today and cause a period of mixed precipitation. There could be a coating to 2 inches of this "stuff", mostly north of the Mass Pike and west of Boston. Since this is possible, a winter weather advisory has been issued.
The good news is that the air quickly be warming, so any road issues will not last all day. I'll be updating the forecast throughout the week on Twitter at @growingwisdom have a great day.

After a dusting, to a couple of inches of fluff yesterday, our weather will be relatively quiet much of this week. There is the chance for some light snow or flurries early Wednesday, but other than that things look tranquil into Friday. Perhaps you might be thinking the groundhog was right, but wait just a second. One weather model, of the many we use, is indicating a significant storm of rain or snow Friday. This week is of course the 35th anniversary of another big storm, so if nothing else it will be interesting to see how the weather models help us decide what will ultimately happen. I put a sample of the differences between the two models here for you to see. Notice how far south the storm is on one model and how close it is on the other. I am leaning towards a non-event and I will be updating my forecast on Twitter at @growingwisdom Please follow me there.

Most of the accumulating snow is now over and the rest of the night will feature periods of light snow, sleet or freezing drizzle. Untreated surfaces will remain slippery and drivers should be careful on secondary roads. There will be some minor icing after the snow leaving a crusty coating. Freezing rain is the great equalizer when it comes to driving. You can have the biggest and best four-wheel drive machine in the world, but it’s not going to do you any good on ice. If roads become icy then they lose friction and that is what keeps you from sliding around.I'll be updating the situation on Twitter at @growingwisdom feel free to comment or post a question there.

A cold front crossed the area last night and ushered in slightly colder air for today and Friday. Winds which gusted over 50 miles per hour in spots this morning, will remain quite busy this afternoon. Although temperatures will be in the lower 40s, it will feel a bit chilly with the wind. A clear night ahead will allow temperatures to fall again to the teens and 20s. Friday sunshine starts the day, but clouds and a few showers move into the region at night. These showers mark the leading edge of mild air that will be here for several days and even possibly break a record Sunday. The record this weekend are in the lower 60s and while I am not forecasting us to break the record Saturday or Sunday, if we got enough sunshine Sunday, we could get well into the 50s, a wonderful treat for the patriots. I'll be updating the forecast for the game and the weekend on Twitter at @growingwisdom

This week, many folks will be talking about the warming trend on the way for tomorrow and continuing right into the weekend. Having such mild air in January is not that unusual nor is it a sign that winter is over. While we have not had a tough winter thus far, this is not last year. Many places in southern New England have seen from half a foot to close to two feet of snow this season. Boston, or more specifically, Logan airport has received just under 4 inches of snow which 75% below what we would expect. Logan sits out in the water and often isn't reflective of the rest of the area. For example, from Newton to Worcester, out to the Berkshires and north into northern New England snowfall is at or above normal for the season thus far. Even Providence, Rhode Island is closing in on a foot of snow for this winter. Let's chat more about the forecast on Twitter at @growingwisdom I also update weather information there regularly.

Are you tired of the clouds and showers yet? If you are counting the days of wet weather this is day 6 of the past 7. As the day goes on the rain will become steadier and heavier leading to a period of heavy rain overnight. The muggy weather will also continue and the afternoon will be gloomy. Everything at my house feels wet and soggy and the leaves that have fallen are too wet to even pick up. The rain, once it does move in this afternoon will impact the commute home. I expect this to be slow Thursday commute since we are headed into a long holiday weekend. For more weather insight, nature tips or to ask me a question find me on Twitter at @growingwisdom and check out my latest videos at GrowingWisdom.com