Will Charlestown get its first snow of the year?

Maybe. Maybe not

By Will Collette

Earlier this year, NOAA's winter forecast for us predicted higher temps meaning less snow was likely. This follows a continuing pattern, driving by climate change, of milder winters.

While Trump's transition team has its sights on abolishing NOAA and perhaps the National Weather Service, too, we have the benefit of some pretty good weather diagnostic tools at our exposure. They just have to work out how to focus Donald Trump enough so he can make weather predictions with his Sharpie®.

One of my favorites is the NOAA/NWS Winter Weather Forecast tool which gives you site-specific odds of snowfall. 

At 7 AM this morning, the best odds (59%) are for a Charlestown snow accumulation of less than an inch. It is possible for up to 2 inches to fall, but the odds are only 7%. I don't know if there are weather bookies who take action using this tool, but let's face it, there are people who will bet on anything.

The official National Weather Service forecast at 11 AM calls for rain just after sundown and then some snow showers and a possible accumulation of about half an inch of snow before ending tomorrow night. With a forecast of temperatures in the 20's, whatever does fall is likely to be very slick, so be careful on the roads. 

Here's the NOAA/NWS odds sheet for South County snowfall: