12:51AM<\/p>\n
The feel of winter has become established as we head through the final days of the season and toward the start of Spring (Vernal Equinox at 7:02AM Wednesday March 20). The winter feel will continue during this week, making it nothing like the corresponding week last year, when high temperatures were in the 70s to lower 80s every day March 18-23. This time we’ll be dealing with high temperatures mostly in the 30s to lower 40s. Another example of how variable the weather can be.<\/p>\n
The big story of the week upcoming will be the winter storm that will impact the region Monday night through Tuesday evening. A combination of precipitation can be expected, including some significant accumulation of snow and sleet. Thankfully, coastal flooding will be limited due to the configuration of the low pressure system and astronomically lower tides.<\/p>\n
The winter storm is expected to evolve this way: Low pressure travels northeastward into the Great Lakes and transfers energy to a new low pressure area developing near or just off the New Jersey\u00a0 Coast Monday night and Tuesday, with this new low strengthening rapidly as it passes over southeastern New England and into the waters just east of\u00a0 Boston by Tuesday night. With late-season cold and dry arctic air over the region, which will be tough to dislodge, especially near the surface, expect the precipitation to start later Monday night as snow pretty much everywhere. As warm air works in from south to north above, a changeover to sleet and rain will evolve first in southern areas then pushing northward. Though the exact positioning of a rain\/sleet\/snow line is still not certain, it appears that the earliest change to sleet and mostly rain will take place along the South Coast including Cape Cod. A more prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain will take place from Boston north and west, with snow being dominant in areas mostly along and outside I-495 and most especially in higher elevations. Sleet may become dominant in the areas just south and southwest of Boston. Some icing (freezing rain) may also be an issue where the layer of colder air trapped near the ground is not as thick as it is where sleet falls. Again, this mix\/change zone will be very tough to pin down until pretty much during the event, so it is most wise for everybody to expect at least some mixing unless you are located far northwest of the city. The ultimate behavior of this mix\/change area will have significant impact on snow\/sleet amounts. Another wild card to snow amounts is the possibility of a snow burst on the back side of the departing storm later Tuesday. Will watch this closely as well.<\/p>\n
After this latest mess exits, the remainder of the week ahead will be on the chilly side, less stormy, but still somewhat unsettled as an upper level low pressure area hangs around. We do have to watch for a disturbance traveling around this trough that may possibly bring one more period of mix\/snow Wednesday night or Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
Forecast for southeastern New England (southern NH, eastern MA, and RI)…<\/p>\n
TODAY: Sunny start…cloudy finish. Highs struggle to near 40. Wind E-SE 5-10 MPH.<\/p>\n
TONIGHT: Overcast thickens. Snow develops by late evening well south and southwest of Boston then spreads to the north and east overnight with up to a few inches by daybreak. Lows upper 20s to around 30. Wind SE-E 5-15 MPH.<\/p>\n
TUESDAY: Overcast. Precipitation, moderate to heavy at times especially in the morning, transitioning from snow to sleet\/ice\/rain over RI and southeastern & coastal MA and mixing with sleet further inland, probably tapering off somewhat in the afternoon, but another burst of mix to snow is possible evening especially Boston area northward (uncertainty here, please check later updates). Expected total snow\/sleet accumulation up to 3 inches South Coast RI\/MA including Cape Cod & South Shore MA, 3-6 inches elsewhere except over 6 inches generally around I-495 and north of the Mass Pike northward. These amounts subject to change pending positioning of the mix\/change line and the occurrence of the late-storm snow burst. Highs from 30 far NW to lower 40s Cape Cod. Wind E trending to N 15-25 MPH with higher gusts, especially coast, but may be variable for a time over the South Coast.<\/p>\n
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Isolated light rain\/snow showers afternoon, a period of mix\/snow possible at night. Low 27. High 40.<\/p>\n
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. Mix\/snow possible early. Low 29. High 40.<\/p>\n
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 28. High 39.<\/p>\n
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Low 26. High 38.<\/p>\n
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 29. High 40.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
12:51AM The feel of winter has become established as we head through the final days of the season and toward the start of Spring (Vernal Equinox at 7:02AM Wednesday March 20). The winter feel will continue during this week, making it nothing like the corresponding week last year, when high temperatures were in the 70s … Continue reading The Week Ahead<\/span>