Good Morning,
An active pattern is still anticipated this weekend and early next week with the potential for 2 winter storms impacting Southern New England. The first storm will start late tonight and last into Saturday. This will bring the potential for several inches snow accumulation. The second and stronger storm is expected late Sunday into Monday, but there remains considerable uncertainty with the storm track, which will in turn affect the types of precipitation. Details below.
Tonight into Saturday...
What has changed:
- A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for parts of Southeast Massachusetts. This includes Suffolk, Norfolk, Northern Bristol, and Interior/Eastern Plymouth Counties.
What/Where/When:
- Potential snowfall of 2 to 6 inches.
- Heaviest snowfall expected across interior RI/Southeast MA
- Snow develops near the south coast around 9 PM tonight and reaches northern MA toward daybreak Saturday
- A brief period of heavy snow with 1-2 inch/hr snowfall rates is possible Sat morning across eastern New England
- Hazardous travel conditions with snow covered roads and poor visibility late tonight and Saturday morning
- Snowfall will be wet and heavy so risk for power outages will increase if amounts reach 6 inches
- Some mixing with rain or sleet possible coastal plain and Cape/Islands Saturday
- Snow gradually tapers off west to east during Saturday midday and afternoon
Uncertainty:
- Axis of heaviest snowfall can still change and it is possible max snowfall amounts could exceed 6 inches in some locations.
- If storm track trends further north, heavier snowfall will shift further in the interior with more rain near the coast. A further south track would result in more of a glancing blow.
- Slight cooling in the atmosphere could result in more significant snow accumulation for the Cape/Islands.
Late Sunday into Monday...
What has changed:
- Forecast information has trended the forecast storm paths somewhat closer together, but still with lingering and significant differences.
What:
- Significant snow accumulation
- Impacts to the Monday morning commute
Where:
- Greatest risk for significant snow will be across the interior, north and west of the Boston to Providence corridor, but significant snow can't be ruled out yet for Boston to Providence
When:
- Snow develops Sunday evening from west to east, possibly heavy at times after midnight
- Snow may mix with sleet and change to rain in the coastal plain later Sunday night
- Precipitation gradually tapers off during Monday
Uncertainty:
- There is still considerable uncertainty with the storm track which will determine where rain-snow line sets up and where axis of heaviest snow occurs
- It is still too early to give specific snowfall amounts
- We will know more each day but probably will not have higher confidence in snowfall amounts until Saturday