Good afternoon,
A wintry mix of freezing rain and/or sleet is likely Wednesday evening into Thursday. Please see the attached image with respect to forecast ice accretion amounts. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for all of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, expect for the immediate south coasts of both states, as well as for northern Connecticut.
Our greatest concern is the potential for icing during the Thursday AM commute, especially across interior areas of Southern New England away from the immediate coast. With any icing, untreated roadways will become slick resulting in hazardous travel conditions. In addition, there's a low risk of downed limbs due to the weight of ice with the potential for isolated power outages.
What / Where / When ...
- Initially sleet mixing with and changing over to freezing rain
- Across the interior away from the immediate Southern New England shoreline, the largest ice accretion amounts are forecast for the Berkshires and Worcester Hills.
- Developing Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday, through the Thursday AM commute.
- With any freezing rain, untreated surfaces will become icy resulting in hazardous travel conditions.
Uncertainty ...
- Challenges in forecasting the exact timing of precipitation-types makes it difficult to be certain to a high degree of sleet accumulation and ice accretion amounts, as well as if and when the transition to rain will occur.
- While there is high confidence concerning wintry precipitation for Wednesday evening into Thursday, confidence is lower with respect to exact outcomes and subsequent impacts.
- Expect future refinements to the forecast.
Should you have any questions, comments and/or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
If you have any questions or would like more information, don't hesitate to contact us via this email address, on NWSChat, or at the following:
Matthew Belk
National Weather Service Boston/Norton, MA
46 Commerce Way