340PM
Good afternoon! We have seen the worst of the precipitation from storm #1. My forecast on it was not completely accurate, as up to a few inches of snow fell close to 495 during the first part of the storm. I expected this to occur on the back edge of the storm versus the front side, but the low pressure area cut a little further south than I thought, keeping even Boston in the chilly air. However, despite being on the colder side of the storm track, there was enough warm air aloft to make the bulk of the precipitation fall as rain in the Boston area, after a slushy coating of snow early this morning in the NW suburbs (and of course a bit more to the NW of there) before rain took over.
This rain/snow line is now on the move back to the southeast, toward Boston, but is in a race with the back edge of the heavier precipitation. The precip. will probably win the race, meaning as it turns cold enough to snow in the Boston area at the end of the afternoon into this evening, precipitation will be lighter and more scattered, with just periods of snow and minor accumulations (mainly under 1 inch). Nevertheless, the temperature drop can result in some slippery surfaces, especially smaller roads, walks, and driveways, so use caution when traveling later today and tonight.
The warm air did make it into areas south of Boston, with temperatures jumping in the lower and even middle 50s over southeastern MA down toward Cape Cod and Rhode Island. These areas also saw strong southwest winds which gusted into the 50 to 60 mph range, causing some localized damage.
In heavier rain areas, flooding has not been a major issue, with mostly minor flooding in localized areas. The quick movement of this storm has prevented more significant flooding.
As the storm moves away this evening, a wind shift to northwest will take places in all areas and winds will pick up to 20 to 30 mph with gusts over 40 mph likely. Some areas will see gusts over 50 mph. The strong wind may result in localized wind damage, and will certainly make it feel very cold, much colder than the 20s that are expected later at night. Fairly rapid freezing of standing water is expected, so keep this in mind also if you will be out and about tonight.
A quick look ahead reveals no major changes from this morning’s thinking. A dry & chilly Saturday is expected, with a sunny start and a cloudier finish. A few inches of snow are possible in about a 12 hour snow event from just after midnight to just after noon on Sunday. Quickly on the heals of this system will be another storm, this one rather strong, passing NW of New England Monday. This will bring windy, milder conditions with periods of rain. At this time, I expect precipitation totals for Monday to be a little lower than what has occurred today.
Updated Boston area forecast…
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with snow showers and minor snow accumulation early, then clearing. Low 20 to 25. Wind northwest 15 to 25 mph gusting 35 to 45 mph at times. A few gusts to 50 mph are possible.
SATURDAY: Sunshine followed by increasing clouds. High 33 to 38. Wind northwest 10 to 20 mph early, becoming variable around 10 mph later in the day.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Snow mainly after midnight. Low 22 to 27. Wind north 5 to 15 mph.
SUNDAY: Cloudy. Snow in the morning with the potential for 1 to 3 inches of accumulation. High 30 to 35. Wind northeast 5 to 15 mph.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Temperature rising through the 30s. Wind east 5 to 15 mph.
MONDAY: Cloudy with periods of rain, especially in the afternoon. High in the 40s.
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy and windy. High in the 30s.
It was pretty interesting to watch the winds and the airmass we were in. For about 2-3 hrs, we snuck into the warm sector and it was very windy……… This morning and now again this afternoon, the breeze is lighter with a much cooler north wind.
I always find that interesting. There have been times where I have been in the cold air, but the layer was so shallow I could hear the wind in the warm air just above. The wind just cannot penetrate down into the cold/stable layer. Barry Burbank talked about this on WBZ radio today. It didn’t happen here today in the NW suburbs as we were too deep in the cold air, but I have experienced it in the past.
Thanks for reading & commenting Tom!
Sure thing and will continue to do so……We’ve received 2 inches of snow overnight and it continues to snow lightly this morning. I wonder if this snow associated with the departing weak low may help to slightly temper what should be a decent surge of mild air tomorrow (Monday).