8:48AM
My focus on this entry and forecast is for the first of 3 likely events upcoming, the first being the Christmas snow/mix event, the second being the post-Christmas or midweek storm, the third being a storm threat on the weekend.
Cold air is in place. It may not be frigid, but it’s cold enough to support snow in most of southern New England when a low pressure wave comes along from the southwest later tonight and Christmas Day. It will be a progressive low pressure wave, moving right along, but will produce enough precipitation to put down anywhere from a coating to 2 inches of snow and locally up to 3 inches in a few areas. Enough mild air will be involved to change snow to sleet/freezing rain (cold air still trapped near surface) over interior southeastern MA and parts of RI, and possibly a period of liquid rain along the South Coast and Cape Cod, so any accumulation there may be very limited.
Hardly a break early Wednesday before a stronger low pressure area roars up the East Coast Wednesday night and Thursday. This should start as snow for much of southern New England except a mix/rain South Coast, but this time the track of the storm looks closer, and that combined with a stronger east wind and milder air aloft will change any snow/mix to rain over the region. Some accumulation of snow is possible before the rain, however, and I’ll put some #’s on this as it gets just a touch closer.
Another break later Thursday and Friday as cold air comes back, setting the stage for another storm threat on the weekend. Timing is suspect, but an early leaning is more for late Saturday or Sunday, and with colder air in place the odds favor snow. I also have a slight leaning toward this one being a little further south and therefor being a less prolific precipitation producer. But again this is far away and there will be many details to work out.
In the mean time, the forecast for eastern MA, southern NH, and RI…
TODAY: Sunshine, some high clouds moving in late. Highs 35-40. Wind N up to 10 MPH.
TONIGHT – CHRISTMAS EVE: Clouding up. Snow developing from southwest to northeast, mainly after midnight, mixing with sleet/rain/freezing rain near the South Coast. Lows 25-30. Wind light NE.
TUESDAY – CHRISTMAS DAY: Cloudy with snow except freezing rain/sleet/rain RI, SE MA, and Cape Cod, in the morning. Clearing in the afternoon. Snow accumulation from a coating to 2 inches but a 3 inch snow amount possible in a few locations. Highs 33-38. Wind N to NW 5-15 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Sun then clouds. Snow to rain overnight. Low 23. High 38.
THURSDAY: Cloudy with rain morning. Breaking clouds afternoon. Low 32. High 41.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 22. High 33.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Low 17. High 33.
SUNDAY: Cloudy. Chance of snow. Low 20. High 30.