Last week's fresh snowfall dissipated over another above-freezing week, with temperatures near 50 degrees Friday, causing some to wonder for the second year running: Where's winter?
"We should be back to reality here over the weekend with Saturday in the low 30s and low 20s at best Sunday," John Hockridge, meteorologist with New England Weather Associates, said Friday.
A dusting of perhaps several inches of snow is expected to accompany the weekend drop in temperatures.
There's a possibility that the upcoming weeks could bring sustained cold more typical of this time of year, Hockridge added.
"It looks like the weather pattern that we're in for the next week or two is a bit more winter-like, with more opportunities for snow," Hockridge said.
These conditions could lend themselves to some additional snow accumulation for what has thus far been a relatively meager winter yield. Northern Berkshire had only seen snowfall in the high 20-inch range before last week's storm.
To put this figure into perspective, a "normal" winter would have already brought down over 50 inches, 75 over its duration.
This year has a lot of catching up to do. Even with the padding provided last week, snowfall in winter 2012-13 remains stuck near 40 inches -- most of this gone due to corresponding snaps of warmer weather.
Despite this, local highway department budgets suggest the season has not been kind in the manner
"Definitely a lot of materials going to the roads this year," Timothy Lescarbeau, North Adams Commissioner of Public Services said. "We're almost at the point that we'd be at on a heavy snow year."
The city snow and ice removal budget for fiscal 2013 was over $230,000.
Williamstown Highway Superintendent Christopher Lemoine had much the same to report.
"Our sand and salt budget is used up about 90 percent," he said. "Even though we haven't had a great deal of snow accumulation, we've been out quite a lot. These repetative freeze and thaw cycles are causing slippery conditions, particularly between the hours of four and five in the morning, and every time the police department calls them in, we send guys out."
Williamstown's fiscal 2013 sand and salt budget was $166,863.
But, for those banking on additional snow to provide some winter fun before the season's out -- for instance, Adams' Thunderbolt Ski Runners, who hope to hold their annual race down Greylock early next month -- Hockridge may have good news.
"It actually looks favorable right now," he said. "Things could change and with warmer weather it wouldn't take long to wipe [all the snow] out, but the current pattern does look more winter-like."
To reach Phil Demers, email
pdemers@thetranscript.com.
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