The Ocean Effect

It's 18 degrees out there this morning and I couldn't be less interested in venturing out, though I'll do so shortly.

I have lots of sympathy for this little bird digging through the snow and trying to stay warm. To help him and his brethren along, I tossed some fresh seed out just a little while ago.

With the cold has come a steady stream of ocean effect snow and the promise for more as the day progresses. Fortunately, it is the light, fluffy kind of snow, easily swept and not too hard to keep up with. I just cleaned about an inch of the stuff from the back porch and walk. And here's the good news from the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A SNOW
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING.

OCEAN EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CAPE COD THROUGH
EARLY THIS EVENING. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF A TRACE TO 5 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS EXPECTED ACROSS OUTER CAPE COD FROM
HYANNIS EAST TO CHATHAM AND NORTH TO PROVINCETOWN.


SATELLITE...RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE BANDS OF LIGHT TO
MODERATE SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS OUTER CAPE COD FROM HYANNIS TO CHATHAM
AND PROVINCETOWN...WITH LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES APPROACHING
THE CAPE COD CANAL.


SNOW WILL VARY IN INTEN SITY GIVEN THE LOCA TION OF INDIVI DUAL SNOW
BANDS. GUSTY NORTH WEST WINDS COMBINED WITH THE FALLING SNOW WILL
TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS. SNOW WILL
BEGIN TO TAPER TO FLURRIES THIS EVENING AS WINDS SHIFT TO WEST AND
SNOW BANDS SHIFT TO THE EAST OUT INTO THE OCEAN WATERS.

A SNOW ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND
LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.