9:00 PM - A rather prolonged event across the area, it is winding down around here as the system heads east. The Winter Storm Warnings may be eased in a bit here, but keep in mind there still is plenty of trouble awaiting those who want to venture out in the roads, or especially along the spine of the Berkshires where the ice is causing more outages to those who are sick of it.

Take plenty of breaks when cleaning up tomorrow, as the snow will be quite dense and chunky. Temperatures are not going to be warming appreciably to help through the rest of this week, though returning sunshine will probably make the rock-salt effective when applied correctly.

This will be the last entry for this live blog. This storm had many similar qualities as ones before it (Ohio Valley starter, spawning a intensifying coastal offspring, the two in tandem putting a warm-over-cold air scenario for Western Mass-- all making for yet more travel headaches). There was no real lock-down of cold air from the north, so it was simpler to anticipate this warm air arrival and corresponding changeovers than other scenarios. A good swath of 4"- 8" of snow for much of the area, less toward the southeast, and more in ski-country-- but with sleet and ice making it perhaps a denser snow event than we've seen recently. Check out our "Past Storms" page in the coming weeks for a final summary of this classic 'Noreaster event.

Be sure to keep up with the latest in all things weather by keeping it here at cbs3springfield.com, and by tuning in to our 24/7 Live Weather-stream called "WeatherNow" , available here, and all the time on Comcast Cable channel 293. Also, check out YouNews on CBS 3 Springfield.com. Upload your photos and videos of the snow and ice. It's a great way to interact with us, tell us how it's like in your area, see videos from others from all around, and who knows...perhaps get yourself featured on the evening News!

8:00 PM - The final plume of moisture is sweeping eastward. Temperatures are actually starting to sag back down, perhaps not quite reaching the freezing mark (at the surface) here in the Springfield area. We're getting reports now of hundreds of people without power in the Sandisfield area (Berkshire county)...and my expectation is that that number will rise into the night as temperatures fall and ice settling occurs. There's also a few breezes that often accompany the passage of a system like this. The 850mb Temperatures profile is now favoring the east coast (after getting as high as 37-degrees locally), as colder air works in behind the plume of moisture seen on the Regional Radar/Satellite Map provided by the low-level conveyor belt (any concentration of fast winds at a certain altitude level is also known as a 'jet stream'). We may very well finish off with a snow squall here locally, with the other inetersting tidbit to watch for is how soon the clouds may part.

Some dense, ice-filled, crunchy, good-luck-getting-it-off-your-driveway snowfall tallies...

Landgrove, VT ...         10.0"
Savoy ...                          6.8"
Adams ...                        5.0"
Westfield ...                    5.0" (1/8" icing ontop)
Sharon, CT ...                5.0"
Pittsfield ...                     4.0"

7:00 PM - Outside, on the CBS 3 Springfield WeatherDeck, it was clear the ice has worked it's way in well with the snow from earlier in the day. You first take 4-5" of snow, then drill some sleet into it (not adding to the depth of the snow but instead the density), then follow that up with some freezing rain. The icy drops leak into the snowpack as it freezes, similar to how icicles dip into the air off the rooftops. The result is quite a cake-topping of glaze that, in some instances, you can walk across. The crunch underfoot is quite evident. Suffice it to say that anyone that had intended to wait out this event and 'take care of things later' will need the sturdy shovel over the typical plastic one.

6:00 PM - Boy, are we getting close to changing to rain in Springfield. Temperatures downtown on our Sleepy's network have reached 31.3 degrees. At temperatures like this it's quite possible to get actual raindrops fall, and of course for it to look like rain on surfaces that aren't cold to begin with (car hoods vs. snow banks). The situation probably figures to be pretty active in the higher elevations, as what is going on downtown can only be magnified along the spine of the Berkshires. Some initial reports are indicating .10" to .20" of icing. Once we get up around a 1/4-inch glaze on things, power outages start to pop up. The Regional Radar/Satellite Map indicates a strong plume of moisture resurging and moving through (as the low-level jetstream gets ready to bundle the last bit of moisture to move it through). Up in the mountains, snow and sleet continues to fall.

Dorset, VT ...        11.0"
Wells, NY ...         10.0"
Woodford, VT ...    9.5"
Becket ...                8.0"

4:00 PM - Temperatures are still managing to stay in the upper-20s, so anything that will fall out of the sky would be of the frozen variety (at this point sleet or ice). There just isn't much happening right now. The low to our south and east is getting better organized, so it's able to keep the wind direction out of the north for much of western Massachusetts. We may be hard-pressed to warm up into the rain category this evening, but we'll give it an attempt anyway in the next few hours.

As you look to head out on the roadways, pay attention to the various WebCams we've provided on our site to get a gauge of road conditions you'll be going through (I'll give you a hint: you won't like it).

You can always watch continually updating maps and weather information on our 24/7 weather-stream "WeatherNow", in addition to our updating Forecast and Current Condition sections of our website....and certainly feel free to comment, send pictures, and reports about what's going on in your area. This is the best way for everyone to see what's going on in places that may not get reported about as much. Also, don't forget about YouNews, the interactive media wing of CBS 3 Springfield! You can post photos and videos, whether their from your cell phone, camera, or uploaded from the computer...and who knows...maybe you will make the CBS 3 Springfield News with your report!

3:00 PM - The latest radar trends show some of the moisture splitting into two divergent sections; one taking moisture through to the New England coastline, and the rest marching up the spine of the Berkshires and Vermont mountains. The latest Current 3-hour Pressure trends indicate these two areas of deepening pressure. One effect of this, is a slackening of the precipitation for parts of the Pioneer Valley. The Wind Streamline map are also indicating this split, as two separate areas of circulation are vying for control of the moisture. You can now start to see some limiting of the Vertical Velocities as well, so this interlude may last for a little bit before picking back up again.

Some recent snowfall amounts (keep in mind many of these totals reflect a stagnant depth of snow, but becoming more dense as sleet and ice compact earlier snow pack)...

Salem ...                                6.0"
Shelburne ...                         5.1"
Orange ...                              4.0"
East Longmeadow ...         3.0"

2:00 PM - The Rain/Snow line is following the ocean-based wind flow rather nicely, now migrating inland from the Massachusetts coastline to about the I-95 Corridor. Current Temperatures are still holding the line in the mid 20s, so we can still expect some sleet, although more and more freezing rain will be mixed in. It won't be a fun commute, that's for sure, for this falling sleet is just adding to the density and 'guminess' (I think I just invented a word) of the snowpack. It's heavy to push, tough to move, and provides little traction.

Current accumulations from around the area...

Westford ...              6.0"
Fitchburg ...             4.5"
Newington, CT ...   4.5"

Expect accumulation totals outside of the mountains to remain largely stagnant through much of the remainder of the event, as more falling precipitation compacts and adds to what has already fallen. However, if you've already shoveled the driveway, you can see more of the mush waiting for you soon.

1:00 PM - Radar returns actually looking quite impressive across the Berkshires and even parts of the valley. At times, the sky has actually looked rather dark for a winter weather event. Current Temperatures are still in the 20s, and 850mb Temperatures are just above freezing. Moderate sleet is the story for many parts of the Pioneer Valley, and when outside you can actually see holes poked in the snow cover by the falling ice pellets.

We're going to be stuck in this mess for the balance of the afternoon, with the best case scenario actually being a changeover to plain rain, otherwise, it's the gummy slush that covers the roads everywhere...such as downtown Northampton. Vertical Velocities remain strong, so there's plenty of room for moderate to heavy precipitation.

More storm totals...

Southwick ...               5.0"
New Preston, CT ...   5.0"
Savoy ...                       5.0"
Blandford ...                3.0"

12:00 PM - It is now sleeting in the Springfield area, and more than likely moving northward through parts of the valley and to the east of it. The Current Hourly Round-up of conditions across the region show the advance of sleet, ice, and rain through Connecticut. The current 850mb Temperature map show we're now above freezing aloft, though still in the 20s at the surface. For the time being, we'll be treated to a time of solid sleet, though accumulation prospects are kind of sketchy, just because what does fall will compact the lighter snow beneath it. A growing concern in a situation like this, where there's still plenty of moisture and a thicker column of warm air yet to move in, is another round of freezing rain/ice. We will be monitoring the temperatures aloft, to see the advance of warmer air, combined with the retreating colder air at the surface. If we get some 35-6 degree air a few thousand feet up, and still maintain some 26-28 degree air at the surface, that could be trouble for as long as that situation holds.

The Current Surface Pressure Map shows a weakening storm center in western Pennsylvania, and somewhat of a deepening area off the Jersey coastline. This is a typical occurrence with these storms, and the  Current 3-hour Pressure trends continue to favor a strengthening system to our south. Analyzing the Wind Streamline map can help indicate who is going to hold onto the sleet and snow longer, and who's has the best likelihood to change over to rain. At the moment, wind flow off the ocean (warmer air) is working it's way toward I-91 from the south and east, while loitering cold air still mulls around the Berkshires with some wind out of  the north. Conditions are ripe for a complete changeover to rain in spots to the south, as the cold air in place offers no resistance, and no real means of reinforcement (which is different from some previous storms this season). Temperatures remain much too cold for that at the moment, so we'll be settling for the sleet for the time being.

Here are some accumulation totals in to us recently...

Granby, CT ...                     4.0"
Westfield ...                         4.0"
Shelburne ...                       3.6"
Goshen ...                           3.5"
Hartford, CT ...                    3.4"
Monson ...                           2.8"

Remember, you can always watch continually updating maps and weather information on our 24/7 weather-stream "WeatherNow", in addition to our updating Forecast and Current Condition sections of our website....and certainly feel free to comment, send pictures, and reports about what's going on in your area. This is the best way for everyone to see what's going on in places that may not get reported about as much. Also, don't forget about YouNews, the interactive media wing of CBS 3 Springfield! You can post photos and videos, whether their from your cell phone, camera, or uploaded from the computer...and have a look at others' pictures and videos as well.

11:00 AM - The change-over is moving ashore in southern New England. Temperatures are rising somewhat along the coastline, but as we've been saying, the transition from snow to sleet, ice, or rain begins well before the air temperature reaches 32-degrees. The Regional Radar/Satellite Map shows rainfall approaching the south coast. We're starting to see the change to rain on the WebCams as well, for example, down by New Haven, CT. Current Wet-Bulb temperatures show that warmer air creeping in northward, and the 850mb Temperature map (more vividly) shows warmer air creeping in aloft-- as expected. In fact, when compared to the Local surface temperatures,  we're running about a 10-degree difference between the ground and a few thousand feet up. With 32-degree air at the 850mb level now moving north of Hartford, a change-over to sleet is not far away from the Springfield area. The best way to tell if the precipitation is changing over, is to listen...Falling snow doesn't make a sound, but sleet and ice pellets bounce off of trees, cars, eachother, etc. and makes a slight ping that becomes obvious when multiplied by the thousands that fall. The Vertical Velocity map continues to show solid upward air motion, so the precipitation will still be steady for the next while.

10:00 AM - Snow continues to be the rule across western Massachusetts, some locations reporting around 1"/hr intensities and low visibilities. The local WebCams continue to show a worsening (once again) of those smaller roads, and the highways aren't much better (for example, here's how it looks in Sunderland).

Here are some local snowfall accumulation reports...

Enfield, CT ...           2.2"
Tolland, CT ...          2.0"
Albany, NY ...            2.0"
Springfield ...            1.5"
Woodford, VT ...       1.0"

Keep in mind that you can always watch continually updating maps and weather information on our 24/7 weather-stream "WeatherNow" ...and certainly feel free to comment, send pictures, and reports about what's going on in your area. This is the best way for everyone to see what's going on in places that may not get reported about as much. Also, have a little fun with YouNews, the interactive media wing of CBS 3 Springfield! You can post photos and videos, whether their from your cell phone, camera, or uploaded from the computer. Take a look at others' pictures and videos...This goes for any event, any time of the year as well.

9:00 AM - As this storm system continues to work its way into the area, a few dynamics will end up taking center stage. The temperatures at the surface are easy to monitor, as Current Conditions come in all the time. However, it will be the temperatures a few thousand feet up in the atmosphere that will become more dominant for the forecast. If temperatures at the surface rise above freezing, then there's not really much to discuss-- a full changeover to rain is imminent. Temperatures can remain below freezing at the surface however, and quite a range of precipitation types can fall over head, all dependent on what's going on aloft. We monitor these conditions with two maps: The "Wet-Bulb" Temperature map, and the "850mb Temperature map". Each of these depict similar information, but arrive at it in slightly different ways. For example, the Current Wet-Bulb temperatures (with 32-degree line highlighted) shows the coldest temperatures one can get to by evaporating water into the air. This ends up becoming important during a storm situation, as falling snowflakes can sometimes keep eachother cool in a milder environment, all the way down to the surface. It's also a good indication of where a mix-over to sleet, ice, and rain can occur, because if the wet-bulb temperature is approaching or exceeding the freezing mark, snowfall is going to be a tough sell. The other map we don't often talk about on the air, but use all the time during snowstorm events, is the 850Mb Temperature map. Temperature is never constant going vertically above any location, and overlaying the different temperature measurements with altitude can tell a pretty good story about precipitation type. Altitude can be measured in feet, miles, etc., but also in pressure levels. The 850 milibar (mb) pressure level is a couple thousand feet up. Here's how this all is useful. For example, if the temperature at the surface is below freezing, but at the 850mb readings are above freezing, then we know that warmer air has snuck into the equation above us, which means falling snow is melting into rain through this layer. If this warm layer is thick, and the temperatures at the surface still below freezing, icing is going to be a reality in that location. If it's a thin layer of warmer air (say, the 850 temperature is only marginally above freezing), then sleet would more than likely be the culprit. This is something that comes into play toward the early afternoon.

For now, the roads are still slick with all snow, and it's still time to be careful driving out there.

8:00 AM - Still watching the snowflakes fall across Western Massachusetts, Current Local Radar and the Current Local Temperatures showing some pretty decent readings to support snow, although the flakes out there aren't very mature or well developed. Even though there are many of them, they're not showing up well on the area WebCams, which is normally a sign for slow accumulations. Nevertheless, there's plenty more of the white stuff off to our west, as depicted on our Regional Radar/Satellite Map. The center of the current storm construction is down in West Virginia, shown by the area of lowest air pressure on our Surface Pressure map  heading just north of east.

We do have some snowfall amounts coming in, and you can always send us yours!

New Canaan, CT ...     3.75"
Lanesborough...          2.0"
Avon, CT ...                    1.5"
Pittsfield...                      1.0"
Bradley Airport (CT)...  1.0"

7:00 AM - This is the first entry for the Winter storm event of January 28th, 2009. This will be updated periodically as warranted. You can also get continuously updated weather information running live 24-hours a day, 7-days per week on "WeatherNow" (also running on Comcast Cable channel 293). Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for all of Western Massachusetts, through to the evening hours tonight.

With this storm event there will be two main phases. The snow has been coming down for the past few hours, and mounting up on the streets. The National Surface Map shows a developing low pressure system riding toward us along the Ohio River Valley. The Current Regional Temperature indicates plenty of colder air in place so far to sustain this phase of the storm straight into lunchtime. After that point, there should be some semblance of coastal re-development of the storm system, but this is the key to figuring out how much warm air will penetrate northward, and who ends up transitioning to rain-- or the dreaded ice. This is the thing to watch going into the early afternoon.

Nevertheless, the expectation is that a 4"- 8" snowfall is a good ballpark for much of western Mass, with perhaps a few more inches toward the ski slopes, and a few inches less east of I-91 and south of the Mass Pike.

You can monitor this blog for updates and commentary on this storm, and even participate yourself by submitting comments, emailing pictures, or storm reports. Also, keep in mind all of the maps and products on our Current Conditions page, including the webcams, update continually, so that can offer a wealth of information for those who are interested. Also, our "Storm Closings" page is up-to-date with all the school cancellations for the area.