5:09PM
DAYS 1-5 (FEBRUARY 7-11)
Oh how things can change, and they have here on this 39th anniversary of the Great Blizzard of 1978. We are having our own storm today, nothing like that biggie, but one that produced up to a few inches of snow in central and northern MA into southern NH before turning to sleet/rain/freezing rain. This scenario will go on for a while this evening and milder air will be moving in, turning everything to just rain showers. Very mild air will be in place early Wednesday, but that brief interlude will come to a crashing end as a strong cold front moves across the region and sends the temperature down in a fairly quick fashion from late Wednesday into Thursday. A low pressure area that looked like it may stay far enough southeast to just graze the region now looks pretty solidly like it will take a perfect track to deliver a significant snowfall to pretty much all of southern New England Thursday. Fair and cold weather will follow this on Friday. And as the pattern continues active, a clipper type low pressure system will bring the threat of some light snow by Saturday.
THROUGH EVENING: Overcast with rain occasionally mixed with sleet, especially north of Boston. Some pockets of freezing rain interior northern MA into southern NH. Temperatures ranging from near 32 northwest of Boston to near 40 South Coast. Wind NE 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.
OVERNIGHT: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Temperatures rise through the 40s. Wind SW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated rain showers morning. Partly sunny afternoon. Highs 52-60 by midday then turning colder late day. Wind SW 15-25 MPH with higher gusts, shifting to NW during the afternoon.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Clouding over. Snow developing southwest to northeast toward dawn and may be mixed with rain near the South Coast especially over the islands.. Temperatures fall through the 30s. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY: Overcast. Snow, heavy at times. Early call on accumulation a widespread 6-12 inches, but probably under 6 inches over Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and pockets of greater than 12 inches possible from northern RI and northeastern CT through central and eastern MA. Blowing and drifting snow. Temperatures fall into the 20s. Wind N 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Lows 8-15. Highs 20-28.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Lows 10-18. Highs 25-32.
DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 12-16)
Next disturbance later February 12 into February 13 should come along with slightly milder air and bring rain/snow showers to the area. Fair, colder weather February 14-15. Next storm threat late in the period would likely be a snow producer if it were to occur.
DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 17-21)
Pattern should feature near to below normal temperatures but drier weather.