DAYS 1-5 (MARCH 20-24)
Spring arrived last night (11:06 p.m. vernal equinox) and these early spring days will present us with plenty of weather to keep track of. Today, a disturbance moves through the region in the form of an initially weak low pressure area, pushing a warm front with a few rain showers through this morning. We’ll get a break for several hours where it’s pleasantly milder and less windy than yesterday, and then a strong cold front will come along this evening with more potent showers of mostly rain, though with an immediate arrival of cold air, some of these can mix with and change to snow, especially north of I-90, before they wind down later at night. This will take place as the initially weak low redevelops and intensifies rapidly as it enters the Gulf of Maine (giving parts of Maine a quick-hitting snowstorm tonight). Behind this system, we’ll have a chilly, windy Thursday but with dry weather. Quick-moving systems mean that we’ll see clouds increasing ahead of our next storm system during Friday. This system’s center looks as if it will be far enough north so that cold air that allows the precipitation to start mixed or as snow for some of the region should be pushed out enough for the heaviest of it to fall as rain in much of the region Friday night into Saturday. Two uncertainties: A slight southward shift in that storm track would mean more frozen precipitation could be involved, so we need to watch that closely, and also the timing of the departure, which may end up somewhat delayed by a slower-departing system. Sunday looks like a dry, breezy, chilly day, but we’ll have to watch southeastern areas for a blanket of clouds that may hang on behind the weekend system, though at this point I think precipitation would remain offshore.
TODAY: Cloudy start with scattered rain showers. Some breaks of sun later morning into afternoon before a cloudier finish and another rain chance especially west and north of Boston. Highs 47-54. Wind variable up to 10 MPH, then SW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts late in the day.
TONIGHT: Cloudy evening with rain showers likely, even a slight chance of a thunderstorm. Rain showers may mix with or turn to snow showers west to east, especially north of I-90, before ending. Clearing overnight. Lows 28-35. Wind SW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts, shifting to NW. Black ice patches possible.
THURSDAY: Sun and passing clouds. Highs 37-44. Wind NW 10-20 MPH, gusts 25-35 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy evening. Clear overnight. Lows 25-32. Wind NW 10-20 MPH, diminishing overnight.
FRIDAY: Sun followed by clouds. Highs 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH becoming variable up to 10 MPH.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Snow/mix north, mix/rain south. Lows 28-35 evening, may rise overnight. Wind NE to E 5-15 MPH, stronger at the coast.
SATURDAY: Overcast. Rain likely, may be mixed with sleet and/or snow north at least early in the day. Highs 36-43. Wind E-NE 10-20 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Chance of rain, possibly mixed with sleet/snow. Lows 33-40. Wind NE-N 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Clouds linger southeastern and eastern areas, clearing northwest. Highs 40-47. Wind N 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.
DAYS 6-10 (MARCH 25-29)
Dry to start, then additional unsettled weather with rain/mix/snow opportunities. Temperatures variable for the period, averaging somewhat close to normal.
DAYS 11-15 (MARCH 30 – APRIL 3)
Additional unsettled weather threats and variable temperatures in an active early spring weather pattern.