Some National Highlights….

…8.8 inches of snow fell on a largely prepared Boston area Friday. Workers were sent home early. Government shut down. Schools dismissed early. Over four thousand pieces of snow removal equipment were rolled into position. The results were positive, unlike a December snowstorm a year ago that caused major headaches. More snow will fall in the Boston area on Sunday, somewhere between one and four inches.

…The Wednesday/Thursday snow even in eastern Washington dumped 23.6 inches on Spokane. The 19.4 inches that fell in 24 hours was a record. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho recorded 25 inches, smashing their old record, which was 16 inches. More snow is expected in the Pacific Northwest for Christmas.

…The dynamic storm system over the Midwest produced some interesting weather in the Chicagoland area, with thundersnow and large ¼ to ½ inch diameter pieces of graupel. Graupel is a hail-like substance that occurs in convective showers during winter events. Two inches of snow is expected tonight in Chicago and then temperatures will be plunging. Readings will fall into the single digits overnight and stay there tomorrow. The low Monday morning is expected to be -7F. It is already the 13th snowiest start to the snow season there.

…Conditions for the Bears game at Soldier Field Monday night will be brutal with an expected kickoff temperature of 7F and a windchill of -9F.

…Blizzard conditions were experienced in western Washington state Saturday night, as up to 24-36 inches of snow was expected in the Olympic Mountains. Blizzard warnings were in effect for the Cascades also. Seattle was expecting somewhere around 4-8 inches of snow, with over a foot west of the Puget Sound.