Yes, The "S" Word Was Mentioned, But Don't Panic. But Chilly! Also, Sam Update

OK, it won't look anything remotely like this anywhere in 
Vermont this upcoming week, but there's a chance of the
season's first flurries on some Green Mountain summits.

 For the first time this autumn, the National Weather Service in South Burlington has mentioned the "S" word. Yeah, snow.  

Before you go into a tizzy, it wasn't as if they were forecasting a major blizzard that would annihilate Vermont.

Instead, in their Saturday evening forecast discussion, meteorologist at the NWS office speculated whether it would get cold enough on the tippy top of some of the Green Mountain peaks on Wednesday to support snow flurries.  

The answer is maybe, but doubtful.

This is to say, however, that we are going to have our first true spell to of autumn chill.  It is pretty amazing to me that we've gotten all the way through September 25 and the "coldest" day so far this month had a high of 68 degrees.

By now, we should have had a couple or even few days that failed to crack 60 degrees.  You won't have to wait much longer for such chill, as such days are coming this week.

The forecast is trending colder.   A huge blocking pattern is setting up in which the middle of the nation is expected to bake under unseasonable heat.  (I'm still out visiting relatives in Yankton, South Dakota today and the forecast high temperature here in Yankton today is a really, really toasty 90 degrees!)

But to the east of that big, hot ridge of high pressure in the middle of the nation, a big dip in the jet stream is shaping up. Exactly where it sets up will determine how chilly Vermont gets, but it will definitely turn cooler than normal.

If the center of the dip in the jet stream centers over New England, by Wednesday or Thursday it could get really raw. That would mean cloud cover, cold, light showers and highs barely creeping into the ow 50s.  That's why the National Weather Service was speculating about snow.

If the dip in the jet stream is centered a wee bit to our east, than it will still be cooler than normal, but not quite as nippy.

We're going to have to watch out for frost on several nights from midweek into next weekend.  If there's a lot of clouds around, and nighttime breezes, frost would be limited to just the coldest pockets.

If there's more clear skies and lighter winds, frost could be much more widespread.  We'd have to wait for the day before a potentially cold night to know for sure if frost is coming.

Tis the season for looking out for that kind of thing.  If you have sensitive plants you want to protect, pay attention to forecasts each day. If you hear a frost advisory or freeze warning for any night in your area, f take steps to protect those flowers or late season veggies. 

HURRICANE SAM

That chilly dip in the jet stream for us coming up is great news if you hate the idea of a powerful, dangerous category 4 hurricane hitting the East Coast. (And if you 'd love to see a huge hurricane hitting the East Coast, I hate you).  

Powerful Hurricane Sam way out in the Atlantic Ocean
on Sunday.

It's looking more and more likely that the dip in the jet stream that will lead to our upcoming cool spell in New England will steer powerful Hurricane Sam away from the United States. Bermuda and perhaps Newfoundland are still under threat. 

Weirdly, Newfoundland, way up north, has been smacked by Hurricane Larry and Tropical Storm Odette already this year.  

There's still a slight chance something weird could happen to change Sam's path, but for now, it looks prett safe in the U.S. with this one. 

As of this morning, Hurricane Sam was a monster with top winds of 145 mph.  It is expected to remain a major, scary hurricane for the next few days as it moves northwestward out in the open Atlantic.  

Sam's forward speed is slow, at least for now, so it won't be until next weekend until it will become a threat to Bermuda, if it does at all.