The Weather Service's forecast discussion is in rare form today, and that's a good thing. Usually the discussions are dry, technical dissections of the reasoning behind the forecast. The 4:00 a.m. discussion starts with "RATHER DREARY DAY ON TAP FOR THE TRI-STATE REGION" to describe the warm front to our south that is bringing us the clouds and rain. Not too much rain as "OVER OUR NECK OF THE WOODS...DRIER AIR IN THE MID LEVELS HAS WORKED IN", meaning the precipitation will mainly be drizzle. However, today the "DAYSHIFT SHOULD WATCH TRENDS TO SEE HOW THINGS PROGRESS WITH THIS AREA OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS". The rain should diminish through the day tomorrow and it should be in the 50s.
The big story, though, is what might happen on Monday. As the discussion puts it "CRASH THE CYMBALS AND BANG ON THE DRUMS...AS THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE WAKE OF THE CLIPPER." The Clipper being the Alberta Clipper, the name given to fast moving winter storms that form on the downwind side of the Canadian Rockies. It will finally feel like winter next week, with high temperatures only in the 30s. There might also be "A FLURRY OR TWO IN NYC SOMETIME DURING THE MONDAY NIGHT-TUE-WED TIMEFRAME? NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. UNFORTUNATELY FOR SNOW LOVERS...THE UPPER AIR PATTERN IS NOT CONDUCIVE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT COASTAL STORMS DURING THIS COLD SPELL." As you can see, the Weather Service isn't too certain about the snow (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday?). If we don't get any snow you can always make your own snowflake.
By the way, the ALL CAPS style is a throwback to pre-Internet days when the Weather Service distributed forecasts via teletype machines that did not have lower case letters.
