DAYS 1-5 (FEBRUARY 16-20)
As previously prognosticated, low pressure passed far enough south to keep its precipitation shield mainly to the south overnight, and the process is finishing off this morning. Even though on radar you see the northern edge of the precipitation (snow) over Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the air at the surface is too dry for anything to reach the ground there. Some mid level clouds sit across much of our region underneath a higher cloud shield to start the day, but as low pressure departs seaward, we’ll trend back to some sunshine as today goes on, only to see more clouds arrive from the west at day’s end, and overtake the sky tonight into early Tuesday morning. This is from a northern stream low pressure disturbance that will pass over and north of our region early Tuesday, producing some scattered snow showers, enough to create some dustings in some areas. Fair weather returns during the day Tuesday, but this doesn’t last long. As previously discussed, the pattern shifts into one that features cold high pressure building from central through eastern Canada while mild Pacific air still resides in much of the continental US. The battle line (aka frontal boundary) that marks the battle between these air masses will situate itself near and south of New England from mid to late week. We’ll eye two waves of low pressure set to come along that boundary. The first of these approaches Wednesday and passes by at night, producing a period of precipitation from Wednesday afternoon into night. With borderline temperatures, we will likely see a variation from rain to the south to a mix/snow to the north, likely ending as snow/mix at night. Currently, this looks like a relatively minor event, but we will have to watch for a rather narrow band of somewhat heavier precipitation that can exist with this system, at least for a brief time. Drier air Thursday means some sun tries to return, but the next low pressure waves clouds us back up by Friday when we eye another area of precipitation approaching with a rain/mix/snow chance that afternoon and night.
TODAY: Clouds give way to sun which later on give way to clouds – all with a west to east progression. Highs 32-39. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. A snow shower possible. Lows 20-27. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy with a snow shower possible early, then partly to mostly sunny. Highs 33-40. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 13-20. Wind variable under 10 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Clouding over. Rain/mix/snow arrives west to east afternoon. Highs 35-42. Wind N up to 10 MPH.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Mix/snow probable evening, ending overnight. Lows 28-35. Wind N to NE up to 10 MPH.
THURSDAY: Clouds break for sun at times. Highs 35-42. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Clouds re-thicken overnight. Lows 28-35. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.
FRIDAY: Cloudy. Snow/mix/rain arrives afternoon-night. Highs 35-42. Wind variable to E 5-15 MPH.
DAYS 6-10 (FEBRUARY 21-25)
The late-week system lingers with some precipitation into the start of the weekend on February 21, with a couple lingering snow showers possible February 22 as a colder air mass arrives underneath an upper low while the surface features moves away to the east. Expecting dry weather February 23-24 with the next precipitation threat presenting itself at the end of the period with the next system moving in from the west.
DAYS 11-15 (FEBRUARY 26 – MARCH 2)
Near to below normal temps. Unsettled start, fair weather mid period, unsettled again late period, based on the expectation of a continued active storm track.