2003-02-17: ALB upper air data from FSL's server at NOAA in Boulder, CO. Forecast max temp from AVN MOS for Fitchburg MA from nws.noaa.gov. === Interpolations from ALB data - temps:deg. F, altitudes:feet MSL === MSL *TI* Wdir@kts trig VirT 2.0 degrees/division ("`": Dry Adiabatic) ----- ---- -------- ---- . ---- ----------------------------------------- 12000 30.9 265 21 78 | 15.2 ` : 11500 30.3 76 | 16.7 ` : 11000 29.7 270 22 75 | 18.2 ` : 10500 29.0 74 | 19.7 ` : 10000 28.4 295 14 73 | 21.2 ` : 9500 27.7 72 | 22.7 ` : 9000 27.0 360 7 70 | 24.1 ` : 8500 25.7 68 | 24.4 ` : 8000 22.0 95 12 61 | 20.4 (CB: 8200) ` : 7500 19.8 58 | 19.2 ` : 7000 17.5 115 21 53 | 17.7 ` : 6500 16.2 51 | 18.0 ` : 6000 15.0 115 23 49 | 18.5 ` : 5500 13.8 47 | 19.1 ` : 5000 12.6 120 23 45 | 19.6 ` : 4500 11.6 43 | 20.4 ` : 4000 10.2 120 29 40 | 20.5 ` : 3500 7.1 35 | 17.6 ` : 3000 -1.0 115 24 21 | 5.8 (High: 22) :` 2500 -2.2 19 | 6.3 : ` 2000 -3.5 105 19 17 | 6.6 : ` 1500 -8.7 7 | -0.1 : ` 1000 -11.0 25 6 3 | -1.6 : ` 500 -11.1 3 | 0.9 : ` === NWS Regional Summary - 501 AM EST MON FEB 17 2003 === Major winter storm takes aim at southern New England. A major winter storm, which has blanketed much of the mid Atlantic coast with heavy snow was spreading snow into south coastal southern New England at daybreak. Temperatures at dawn ranged from the mid 20s on the Cape and islands to just 5° along the New Hampshire border. Blizzard warnings were posted for the coastal counties of Connecticut with winter storm warnings elsewhere across southern New England. Snow will slowly overspread the region from south to north, as the moisture fights a large dome of cold and dry arctic air. But by late morning it will be snowing across the region, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2" an hour quite likely. Highs will will be in the teens and 20s. Warm air in the mid levels of the atmosphere will cause heavy snow to mix with or even change to heavy sleet at times tonight generally along and south of a Boston to groton line. Freezing rain is possible as well, with Nantucket island likely changing to rain for a time. Overnight temperatures will hold in the teens to mid 20s, but rise into the mid 30s on Nantucket. By the time the storm system diminishes Tuesday afternoon, a fresh 1 to 2 feet of snow should be on the ground across the region, with slightly lesser amounts along the coast and on the islands where the longest duration of sleet and or rain is expected. Weak high pressure will then spread over southern New England Tuesday night and Wednesday, bringing fair conditions back to the region. === The weather observed at WORCESTER, MA at 07:54 AM EST was: === The skies were cloudy. The prevailing visibility was 10 miles. Temperature: 10F (-12C) Dewpoint: 3F (-16C) Relative Humidity: 72% Winds from the NE (050 degs) at 10 mph. Pressure: 1032.1 millibars. Altimeter:30.41 inches of mercury. === ORH Terminal Aerodrome Forecast not available. ===