The snow is over, finally. Remember, these are spotter reports and amounts may vary from what you have in your back yard. Certainly this was an under forecast storm for snow, especially east of Route 95, and the southern part of Route 495. There are several 24 inch amounts that show up as a result of this large ocean storm. Blue Hill in Milton got nearly 30" and that is the most reported. I'll be updating my weather forecasts on Twitter at @growingwisdom please follow me there.

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.

I feel like it's been weeks since we first predicted this storm, but in reality it has only been a few days. Now it is time to finish preparing for the storm and get ready to be inside for the day tomorrow. I think we have grown very averse to being inconvenienced because the reality is that there will only be about 24 hours when you can't get around. Power is the big concern for most of us, and if it does go out, hopefully it will return fairly quickly. There has been so much warning with this storm that I imagine most of the area will be unusually today. I also suspect that since the storm is occurring overnight tonight and Saturday that crews will be able to clean up easier than if it was a mid-week storm.. If you have last minute things you do want to get done try to be home by 3 PM this afternoon. As usual I will be updating the forecast on on Twitter at @growingwisdom please follow me there.

Blizzard warnings are now in effect for nearly the entire coast from central Maine south to New York City. If you need to get out tomorrow, the morning will provide the best travel conditions. Roads will become snow covered in the afternoon and travel nearly impossible after dark.You might be wondering if all of the coverage of the past twenty-four hours is overdone or if this storm is for real. First, some details on the timing of the storm. I'll be updating details on the potential blizzard on Twitter at @growingwisdom

There is little doubt that a major snowstorm is going to affect much of southern and central New England Friday into Saturday. A blizzard watch is now in effect for much of eastern Massachusetts. You can see this area highlighted in green on this map. Some light snow will begin as early as Friday morning, but the bulk of the storm will be overnight Friday and into Saturday morning. Strong winds will blow the snow into drifts and along the coast, especially from Boston south, rain will mix in with the snow. The exact position of the rain-snow line is still somewhat questionable and this will ultimately determine how much snow the south shore and Cape Cod receive. This is going to be a big storm, now we just have to figure out is it top 10 big or just big for the past few winters. For this storm to reach top 10 status Boston would need to have 18.3" of snow. That volume of snow did fall just after Christmas in 2010. All of this, including the timing of the snow, is subject to refinement later this evening and Thursday, but the theme here is prepare for a classic snowstorm. Once the snow starts it will increase in intensity during the afternoon Friday as is overspreads much of the area. The heaviest snow will fall from about 9 PM Friday until 9 AM Saturday. I'll be updating the forecast on Twitter at @growingwisdom and check out my latest garden videos at GrowingWisdom.com

While we try to figure out the exact details of Friday's storm it is worth noting that February 6th and 7th mark the 35th anniversary of one of the most famous blizzards to ever hit southern New England. For over 32 hours snow fell and would pile up to just over 27 inches in Boston with more to the southwest of the city. As the storm stalled to the south of Cape Cod it would produce hurricane force winds, a large storm surge and intense waves that would leaves thousands of homes destroyed along the coast. Thousands of people would be either be stranded or simply abandon their cars on highways. Boston and much of eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were at a standstill for days following the storm. Cape Cod, they had mostly rain. I'll be updating frequently on Twitter at @growingwisdom about the latest details on the storm potential for Friday.

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.

Humidity levels continue to be very high with the amount of moisture in the air about as extreme as we ever see it here in this part of the country. We are watching a cold front headed towards the east coast. This front marks the leading edge of more comfortable air and lower temperatures. Overnight through early tomorrow morning a line of showers and thunderstorms will move through the area. This line will produce a few downpours and possibly some strong storms. To ask me a weather question follow me on Twitter at @growingwisdom

This afternoon we find a lot of different weather across the region. Big storms are firing up in far Western Massachusetts prompting a flash flood warning in western Franklin county (small red area on map). Heat and humidity are combing to the southwest of Boston, prompting a heat advisory. (orange area) The immediate coast is enjoying a sea breeze which is keeping temperatures in the upper 70s. While there could be a thunderstorm this evening, most of the region will remain dry and warm overnight. Sunday will be another very warm and humid day with more storms over night.
For more frequent updates or to ask for a specific forecast for your town, follow me on Twitter at @growingwisdom

What a great afternoon across the region. Temperatures will be in the lower 80s with sunshine. The rest of the week here in the northeast looks perfect with sunshine and warm temperatures. We will enjoy sun and clouds through Friday with highs 84F-89F and in the 50s and low 60s at night. Since the forecast is so straightforward, it gives me an opportunity to look back at the summer so far. Over the past few weeks parts of the country have endured extreme heat. In some cases heat like this hasn't been seen in decades. Fires, severe storms, temperatures over the century mark all seem to indicate a shift in the "normal" weather patterns. But is anything really going on with the climate or is this just part of the regular cycle of weather that occurs. How do you feel about what is going on? You can give me your thoughts here or on Twitter @growingwisdom. For some parts of the country the summer of 2012 is turning out to be quite miserable.