9:45PM

** SHORT TERM UPDATE **

A low pressure wave in the Gulf of Maine has shoved the warm front back to the south as a back-door cold front that has now chilled down southern NH and most of eastern MA. Temperatures have fallen from the lower 40s to the lower 30s and with some fog forming, there may be some patchy ice forming on untreated surfaces overnight. Be aware of this if you are heading outside tomorrow morning as it probably will remain chilly into mid morning.

A slight tweak to the forecast appears in the TONIGHT section below, otherwise, the remainder is unchanged from the original post.

4:34PM

The lack of significant winter storms will continue, in fact there is very little risk of important storminess for the foreseeable future (that is, 7 days, possibly longer). Temperatures will continue to ride a little bit of a roller coaster, though this will not be extreme either. Brief cold shots come between near to above normal temperature stretches, with the midwinter chill being a bit more dominant in the days ahead.

A warm front passed by early Tuesday. Snowfall was less than expected, with most occurring across NH and Maine. A cold front will pass by on Wednesday, but with very  mild air in place expect a risk of rain showers in a short window of time just ahead of the front. Generally dry weather is expected Thursday through the weekend as a sprawling area of high pressure builds across eastern Canada and the northeastern US. Low pressure will pass well south of the region Thursday with no impact.

Boston Area Forecast…

TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Areas of fog with moisture freezing on some untreated surfaces. Low 30-35. Wind light NE.

WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy through mid afternoon including scattered rain showers late morning to early afternoon, then partly cloudy to mostly sunny remainder of day. High 51-56.  Wind WSW 10-20 MPH shifting to WNW with gusts around 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Low 25-30. Wind WNW 10-15 MPH.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. High 35-40. Wind N 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Low 22-27. Wind N 5-10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. High 35-40. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 22. High 38.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 22. High 36.

MONDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 18. High 38.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 21. High 39.

3:06AM

A warm front will cross eastern MA today with some snow (little accumulation) to mix. Low pressure passing to our north will push its cold front through during Wednesday, accompanied by rain showers due to a very mild air mass which will be over the region. High pressure will slowly build in and dominate the weather Thursday through Sunday. Low pressure will pass just south of New England Thursday and will try to skirt the South Coast with some light precipitation but it is not expected to be far enough north to bring anything into the Boston area. The next storm threat would be Monday of next week but it is far too early to tell any detail about that potential system. The overall weather pattern remains quiet.

Boston Area Forecast…

TODAY: Cloudy through midday with areas of light snow accumulating less than 1 inch, especially north of the Mass Mike.  Snow may end as a mix or light rain. Mostly cloudy to partly sunny remainder of the day. High 42-47. Wind S-SW under 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Low 35-40. Wind SW up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers through mid afternoon. High 52-57. Wind SW increasing to 10-20 MPH shifting to W late.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low 30-35. Wind W 10-15 MPH.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. High 40-45. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 35.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 20. High 40.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 18. High 35.

MONDAY: Chance of snow or rain. Low 28. High 38.

1:37AM

Just updating for timing of snow showers and time periods. Full discussion found at previous post.

MONDAY: Variably cloudy with scattered snow showers early, then mostly sunny. High 32-37. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting 25-30 MPH at times.

MONDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Light snow west to east before dawn. Low 20-25. Wind light variable.

TUESDAY: Cloudy with light snow ending west to east in the morning after accumulating 1 inch or less in most areas. Mostly cloudy to partly sunny late morning through afternoon. High 40-45. Wind variable becoming S up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 39. High 51.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Low 30. High 41.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 22. High 38.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 22. High 40.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 18. High 35.

9:10AM

This weekly look at the next 7 days (8 including today) is being issued a little earlier than usual today.

First, I want to thank EVERY one of you for visiting and reading, whether you post in the comments section or not. But of course a special thank you goes out to all the regulars that carry on the daily weather chat here.

And anyone else, if you have not posted, feel free to do so if you have a comment or a question, whether you talk to me elsewhere or just here. Use the blog! This is why it’s here.

The only real rule is: Be respectful and civil. If we can all do that, this will always be a great place. You don’t have to agree with everything that is posted here, but we can always learn to tolerate others’ opinions, as tough as it can be at times.

Thanks again and enjoy! 🙂

On to the weather…

A weak cold front passed by last night with clouds and some gusty winds. We will be in between that and a slightly stronger cold front approaching from the west today, so expect a fair but breezy and chilly (but not too cold) day for late January. The second cold front will cross the region from west to east tonight after midnight, and is expected to produce snow showers and possibly a few snow squalls with minor snow accumulation in spots. Monday will be a breezy and cold day, but again not very cold by late January standards. A warm front will move  across the region Tuesday, and ahead of it an area of light snow will develop and move across New England as warm air rides up over the cold air in place. Again a minor snow accumulation is expected, but this may be a more general or widespread snowfall, and may come just in time to slick up some roads for Tuesday morning’s commute, so be aware in case… The warmer air behind the cold front will move in Tuesday night into Wednesday, with yet another wintertime 50-degree day not out of the question Wednesday. A cold front will approach from the west later Wednesday, but with the warm air in place expect rain showers.

I know there have been some storm threats advertised in media’s  longer range forecasts for the end of the week and next weekend, but at this point I am going to cautiously stay away from this scenario and say that the lack of phasing of jet streams to the south and north of New England will leave us in the middle with weak high pressure in general control and a few moisture-starved weak frontal systems passing by from Thursday through next weekend. The end of the week is not being forecast with high confidence so please check back for updates as the week goes on.

In the mean time, this is my take on things for the Boston Area…

TODAY: Mostly sunny. High 41-46. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting 25-30 MPH at times.

TONIGHT: Partly to mostly cloudy. Scattered snow showers especially 11PM to 3AM from west to east, with a heavier snow squall possible. Snow accumulation of 1/2 inch or less. Low 23-28. Wind SW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts shifting back to W.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. High 32-37. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting 25-30 MPH at times.

MONDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Light snow west to east before dawn. Low 20-25. Wind light variable.

TUESDAY: Cloudy with light snow ending west to east in the morning after accumulating 1 inch or less in most areas. Mostly cloudy to partly sunny late morning through afternoon. High 40-45. Wind variable becoming S up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 39. High 51.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Low 30. High 41.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 22. High 38.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 22. High 40.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 18. High 35.

3:41AM

Please see the previous post for replies to a few questions and some commentary on a recent snow event and the media’s handling of things, and some thoughts on the pattern.

A full discussion will appear here on the next forecast update, but for now just an update of the Boston area forecast itself…

TODAY: Mostly sunny start then a mix of sun and clouds. High 42-47. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.

TONIGHT: Partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance of a passing rain or snow shower. Low 30-35. Wind SW 10-20 MPH shifting to W.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy through early afternoon then partly to mostly cloudy later. High 40-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT:  Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 25-30. Wind W 10-15 MPH with stronger gusts, shifting to NW.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. High 30-35. Wind NW 10-20 MPH with stronger gusts.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. AM snow. Low 22. High 38.

WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 33. High 49.

THURSDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow/mix at night. Low 32. High 39.

FRIDAY: Partly sunny. Low 29. High 37.

10:18AM

Boston Area…

TODAY: Cloudy. Areas of fog. Numerous rain showers and a slight chance of thunder through midday then scattered rain showers. High from 45 to 55, warmest from Boston south. Wind SE 5-15 MPH shifting to SW.

TONIGHT: Slow clearing. Low 30-35. Wind shifting to W and increasing to 10-20 MPH with gusts around 30MPH.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. High 44-49. Wind W 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Low 30-35. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High 40-45. Wind WNW 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 30.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. Low 30. High 40.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 35. High 50.

3:00AM

We’ll continue with the pattern described in the previous blog for several days. I suspect the only changes will be to tweak timing and details of passing weather systems. We’ll see mostly minor to moderate precipitation events, with the odds favoring rain versus snow for the majority of what falls. The most unsettled times appear to be slated for Thursday night and the first half of Friday, late Sunday, and Wednesday of next week.

Boston Area Forecast…

OVERNIGHT: Mostly cloudy. A period of light snow, especially north of  Boston, dusting the ground. Low 25-30. Wind NW under 10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. High 35-40. Wind N up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Snow developing north and west of Boston, mixed rain and snow near and south of Boston, with a slushy coating to 1 inch of snow possible especially in the region outside of Route 95 to around route 495, north of the Mass Pike, before midnight. Mix to mainly rain after midnight. Low 30-35 early then temperature rising toward 40.  Wind E up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with rain in the morning. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. High 45-50. Wind S 5-15 MPH shifting to W.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 30. High 43.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of PM rain/snow showers. Low 30. High 43.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 22. High 35.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. Low 18. High 41.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 32. High 47.

2:49AM

High pressure brings cool but dry weather today into Thursday. A weak storm moving southwest to northeast will bring a light mix to rain event late Thursday night into Friday. The next threat of precipitation will come over the weekend and it may be cold enough for now, but that looks like an insignificant event at this time.

Boston Area Forecast…

TODAY: Partly cloudy. High 38-43. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low 22-27. Wind N 5-10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. High 40-45. Wind variable 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow or mix changing to rain late. Low 30-35. Wind SE 5-10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Cloudy. Light rain in the morning. High 40-45. Wind E up to 10 MPH shifting to N.

SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Low 28. High 42.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 25. High 35.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 22. High 36.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 21. High 38.

4:40PM

After a slight bit more persistence to the wintry feel last week, we have returned to the pattern of milder than normal, brief cold shots, and no major snow threats that I am pretty confident will last through the remaining 8 days of January.

A frontal system will push west to east across New England tonight and early Tuesday morning as its parent low pressure area moves across southern Canada. High pressure builds into the region for midweek with dry and chilly weather, but no major cold. Several disorganized low pressure areas will be around at the end of the week, and at this point I’m still not sure how things happen down to the letter, but it looks like we’ll be affected by one weak low bringing enough mild air for a light snow to rain event late Thursday night and Friday, a weak storm offshore but possibly close enough for light snow/mix on Saturday, and upper level low pressure from the west bringing a snow shower threat for Sunday. Check back for more detail on the end of the week and for now just take my low confidence forecast with a grain of salt.

Boston Area Forecast…

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Areas of fog. Periods of rain showers. Temperature rising through the 40s. Wind SE under 10 MPH shifting to SW up to 15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy early, then partly to mostly sunny. High 47-52. Wind SW 10-20 MPH with gusts to 25 MPH, shifting to W.

TUESDAY  NIGHT: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of a rain or snow shower early, then mostly clear. Low 25-30. Wind W 10-20 MPH with gusts to 25 MPH shifting to NW.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High 37-42. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.

THURSDAY: Sunshine, late clouds, light snow/mix late night. Low 22. High 37.

FRIDAY: Cloudy. Light rain early. Low 35. High 45.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow/mix. Low 30. High 40.

SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 25. High 35.

9:38PM

HIGHLIGHTS…

Icy start inland Monday.

50 degrees early Tuesday?

Chilly midweek.

Unsettled late week.

DISCUSSION…

Low pressure will track northeastward across the Great Lakes and into eastern Canada through Tuesday. A warm front will move into southern New England Monday, but cold air trapped at the surface, especially away from the coast, means that some icing is possible Monday morning. The good news is that most of the precipitation should be in the form of freezing drizzle and not heavier freezing rain during the morning hours. However, some icy untreated roads, walks, stairs, and driveways are likely before temperatures finally warm to above freezing in most areas by afternoon. At that time, steadier rain should move in as a cold front approaches from the west. This front will cross the region at night and temperatures will warm steadily ahead of it, possibly reaching 50 Monday night or very early Tuesday. During the day Tuesday expect a drier southwest to west air flow and sun mixed with clouds, as the main front will be moving offshore. A secondary front later Tuesday may produce a rain or snow shower, but its main purpose will be to introduce dry and chilly weather for midweek.

The next series of storm systems will threaten the region from Thursday night into next weekend, bringing unsettled weather. It is too early to know details of these systems, but there is some threat of snow.

BOSTON AREA FORECAST…

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Chance of freezing drizzle  and areas of fog forming after midnight. Low 27-32. Wind SE under 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Overcast. Areas of fog. Drizzle in the morning, likely freezing on untreated surfaces over inland locations with some icy spots  likely. Rain likely in the afternoon. High 40-45. Wind calm early then S 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with rain and areas of fog through midnight, then clearing. Temperature rising through the 40s. Wind S 5-15 MPH shifting to SW late.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. High 45-50 early then cooling through the 40s. Wind SW 10-20 MPH and gusty, shifting to W.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 21. High 39.

THURSDAY: Increasing clouds. Snow to rain at night. Low 22. High 39.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. AM rain/drizzle. Low 35. High 45.

SATURDAY:  Cloudy. Chance of mix/snow. Low 30. High 35.

SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Chance of snow showers. Low 25. High 35.

9:26AM

Not too often you get a snowstorm fitting neatly into a calendar day, but today is one of those times. A wave of low pressure moving west to east and passing south of New England is the cause.

As of 9AM, the heaviest snow has already fallen in some locations north of the Mass Pike and outside Route 95, though it will continue to snow there for several more hours. Light to moderate snow will continue elsewhere with the 2 to 5 inch amounts easily reached in most locations. Some 6 to even 7 inch totals are still possible mainly in areas south of the Mass Pike where heaviest snow lasts longer, and where some enhancement takes place from moisture off the ocean (especially closer to the South Shore). To the north, under 2 inches will fall near the MA/NH border. This is a light and fluffy snow for just about everybody (except a little wetter over Cape Cod). This should be a done deal by tonight as the wave of low pressure heads into the Atlantic and high pressure again builds north of New England.

The remainder is from the previous discussion followed by an updated Boston area forecast.

Sunday, high pressure will continue to hold on to the north of the region, sending a northeast wind into southern New England. This may produce some ocean-effect snow showers. As the high pressure area slides more to the southeast an approaching warm front will provide focus for moisture and warmer air to ride over New England, and with lingering cold air at the ground, the setup for some icing will be in place as rain breaks out due to the warming air aloft. Icing may linger into Monday morning over inland areas where cold air can be tough to dislodge. Areas closer to the coast will warm sufficiently so that plain rain will be falling by Monday morning. Eventually, all inland areas will warm to above freezing so that Monday turns into a rainy day for just about the entire region. Once a cold front crosses the region from west to east Monday night or early Tuesday, drier weather will move in, but this may prompt someone to argue the definition of a cold front since Tuesday will probably turn out to be the warmest day of the next several days. A secondary cold front late Tuesday will introduce colder air for the middle of next week.

Weather for Patriots/Ravens game in Foxboro at 3PM Sunday: Lots of clouds, chance of a snow shower, kick-off temp 33, end-of-game temp 30. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

Boston Area Forecast…

TODAY: Overcast. Snow of 2 to 5 inches with some 6 or 7 inch amounts possible in areas south of the Mass Pike and near some north-facing coastal areas to the south of Boston. Parts of far northern MA and southern NH will come in below 2 inches. High 22-27. Wind N-NE up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a few lingering light snow showers. Low 15-20. Wind N-NE up to 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers, best chance closer to the coastline. High 30-35. Wind NE 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Chance of snow showers early. Chance of sleet and freezing rain inland and sleet, freezing rain, or plain rain closer to the coast. Low 25-30 inland, 30-35 coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Cloudy. Areas of fog. Rain likely, but some icing conditions may persist over inland lower elevations during the morning. High 42-47 but probably  not until late day. Winds light E inland areas, SE 5-15 MPH coastal areas during the morning, eventually shifting to S and increasing to 10-20 MPH during the afternoon.

TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers.  Low 42. High 53.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 25. High 35.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 18. High 36.

FRIDAY: Cloudy. Chance of mix/rain. Low 29. High 42.

4:20PM

A cold front whistled across New England Friday morning accompanied by passing clouds. Cold high pressure is building across the region at this time and will remain in place tonight before retreating into the Canadian Maritimes during Saturday. The frontal boundary now south of New England will be the running board for an open wave of low pressure moving west to east and passing just south of New England during Saturday. This will produce a light to moderate snowfall across southern New England, but it will be a light and dry snow in just about all of the region – easy to move. Only slightly wetter snow will occur over Cape Cod and the Islands and even some mixed precipitation may get involved there due to warmer ocean water warming the lower levels of the atmosphere. Sunday, high pressure will continue to hold on to the north of the region, sending a northeast wind into southern New England. This may produce some ocean-effect snow showers. As the high pressure area slides more to the southeast an approaching warm front will provide focus for moisture and warmer air to ride over New England, and with lingering cold air at the ground, the setup for some icing will be in place as rain breaks out due to the warming air aloft. Icing may linger into Monday morning over inland areas where cold air can be tough to dislodge. Areas closer to the coast will warm sufficiently so that plain rain will be falling by Monday morning. Eventually, all inland areas will warm to above freezing so that Monday turns into a rainy day for just about the entire region. Once a cold front crosses the region from west to east Monday night or early Tuesday, drier weather will move in, but this may prompt someone to argue the definition of a cold front since Tuesday will probably turn out to be the warmest day of the next several days. A secondary cold front late Tuesday will introduce colder air for the middle of next week.

Weather for Patriots/Ravens game in Foxboro at 3PM Sunday: Lots of clouds, chance of a snow shower, kick-off temp 33, end-of-game temp 30. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

Boston Area Forecast…

TONIGHT: Increasing cloudiness. Low ranging from near 5 inland valleys to 15 coastline. Wind NW under 10 MPH early then diminishing to calm.

SATURDAY: Overcast. Snow of 2 to 5 inches with some 6 inch amounts possible in areas south of the Mass Pike and near some north-facing coastal areas to the south of Boston. High 22-27. Wind N-NE up to 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a few lingering light snow showers. Low 15-20. Wind N-NE up to 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers, best chance closer to the coastline. High 30-35. Wind NE 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Chance of snow showers early. Chance of sleet and freezing rain inland and sleet, freezing rain, or plain rain closer to the coast. Low 25-30 inland, 30-35 coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Cloudy. Areas of fog. Rain likely, but some icing conditions may persist over inland lower elevations during the morning. High 42-47 but probably  not until late day. Winds light E inland areas, SE 5-15 MPH coastal areas during the morning, eventually shifting to S and increasing to 10-20 MPH during the afternoon.

TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers.  Low 42. High 53.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 25. High 35.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 18. High 36.

FRIDAY: Cloudy. Chance of mix/rain. Low 29. High 42.

3:28AM

(Most of the following discussion is the same as the previous, with slight editing for time periods and the addition of a summary for Thursday  night’s snow.)

Weather roller coaster is the theme of now and the next several days.

The Thursday night mini snowstorm is gone after depositing 1 to 3 inches of snow. Some areas southwest of Boston (toward Providence RI) reported up to around 4 inches due to a very heavy burst of snow late in the evening.

During the day today, a gusty breeze but otherwise quiet and cold weather is expected. Not far behind is the next storm system which will pass south of New England on Saturday. Enough cold air will be around for snow, but amounts will be held down by the fast-moving nature of the system. This looks like a dawn to dusk event for the Boston area.

Another in-between day is expected Sunday with quiet weather. Temperatures for the Patriots/Ravens playoff game at 3PM should be in the middle to lower 30s with a slow fall expected during the game. Winds should be on the light side from the north and for now I am going to leave the threat of any precipitation out of the forecast.

The next storm will arrive Monday, and cold air trapped at the surface may mean a little additional icing inland as it begins to rain due to warmer air coming in above us all. This warm air will win out and a milder, wet day will result. The parent low pressure area should pass northwest of New England by early Tuesday and we should see southwest to west winds sweeping into southern New England with mild air and a few rain showers. Cooler air will eventually move in, but it will be a slow process, leading to a dry and chilly day for Wednesday of next week. The next threat of unsettled weather follows later in the week, and to be honest that’s so far away that I really have no idea how that is going to evolve yet.

In the mean time… the forecast for the Boston area and its neighbors goes this way:

TODAY: Clouds may linger at the coast early otherwise mostly sunny. High 30-35. Wind W increasing to 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.

TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Low 15-20. Wind W diminishing to near 10 MPH and shifting to N.

SATURDAY: Cloudy with snow of 2-5 inches starting around dawn and ending around dusk. High 25-30. Wind NE 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lingering snow flurries early. Low 20-25. Wind NE around 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. High 35-40. Wind NE under 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Cloudy. Ice to rain. Low 29. High 50.

TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Scattered rain showers. Low 40. High 49.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 22. High 38.

THURSDAY: Increasing clouds. Low 25. High 41.

This portion added at 10:25PM …

Even though below I indicate the most snow from 9PM to 5AM, the heaviest band of snow will cross the Boston area between 11PM and 1:30AM with up to 2 or 3 inches. Roads will be slick as the snow falls but will improve when treated and after the snow tapers off overnight. Additional snow may occur through 5AM but it appears the heaviest will be concentrated into the short period of time indicated above. Please use caution if you have plans to travel during and shortly after these times.

Remainder of this post is from early evening…

———————————————————————————————————–

5:53PM

We’ll continue with an active weather pattern, chilly in the short-term including 2 snow events, moderating thereafter with a rain event (may start as mix/ice) following these.

A small area of low pressure will cross New England tonight laying down a covering of snow, not very deep though with 2 inches being about the maximum potential amount (outside shot of a few 3 inch amounts). Most of this snow will take place between 9PM and 5AM. Right at the tail end there is a chance for a brief heavier burst of snow which could briefly reduce visibility and impact roads in a few locations for very early commuters.

During the day Friday, a gusty breeze but otherwise quiet and cold weather is expected. Not far behind is the next storm system which will pass south of New England on Saturday. Enough cold air will be around for snow, but amounts will be held down by the fast-moving nature of the system. This looks like a dawn to dusk event for the Boston area.

Another in-between day is expected Sunday with quiet weather. Temperatures for the Patriots/Ravens playoff game at 3PM should be in the middle to lower 30s with a slow fall expected during the game. Winds should be on the light side from the north and for now I am going to leave the threat of any precipitation out of the forecast.

The next storm will arrive Monday, and cold air trapped at the surface may mean a little additional icing inland as it begins to rain due to warmer air coming in above us all. This warm air will win out and a milder, wet day will result. The parent low pressure area should pass northwest of New England by early Tuesday and we should see southwest to west winds sweeping into southern New England with mild air and a few rain showers. Cooler air will eventually move in, but it will be a slow process, leading to a dry and chilly day for Wednesday of next week. The next threat of unsettled weather follows later in the week, and to be honest that’s so far away that I really have no idea how that is going to evolve yet.

In the mean time… the forecast for the Boston area and its neighbors goes this way:

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Snow of up to but mostly less than 2 inches especially between 9PM and 5AM, with an isolated 3 inch amount not out of the question. Low 21-26. Wind light E becoming variable and eventually W.

FRIDAY: Clouds may linger at the coast early otherwise mostly sunny. High 30-35. Wind W increasing to 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.

FRIDAY  NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Low 15-20. Wind W diminishing to near 10 MPH and shifting to N.

SATURDAY: Cloudy with snow likely. Early call on accumulation 2-5 inches. High 25-30. Wind NE 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lingering snow flurries early. Low 20-25. Wind NE around 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. High 35-40. Wind N under 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Cloudy. Ice to rain. Low 29. High 50.

TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Scattered rain showers. Low 40. High 49.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 22. High 38.

7:43AM

This is a slight tweak of previous forecast details. Most of the discussion below is the same as from the previous entry. Tweaking snowfall amounts/indications down slightly for both events for now.

______________________________________________________________

Cold high pressure retreats to the Canadian Maritimes today. Weak low pressure will move across New England tonight and make an attempt to redevelop just offshore. This feature will produce snow, but amounts will be limited due to rapid movement and location of low pressure redevelopment. Another cold high pressure area will move across northern New England and southeastern Canada Friday. The next in a parade of low pressure areas will pass south of New England on Saturday. This low will have more moisture to work with and more snow is possible from it than the first system.

Looking ahead to Sunday, the weather for the Patriots playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens is expected to be partly to mostly cloudy with a temperature starting out around 34 and ending around 31.

Another weather system will arrive Monday, and the early call on this one is for warmer air aloft meaning rain, but lingering cold air at the surface possibly leading to some icing. Plenty of time to worry about this one.

Boston Area Forecast…

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy.Isolated snow showers may move in from the ocean this afternoon. High 27-32. Wind E around 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. A period of snow accumulating up to around an inch, isolated 2-inch amounts possible.  Low 20-25. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Partly to mostly sunny. High 30-35. Wind W increasing 10-20 MPH with gusts to 30 MPH.
Yu
SATURDAY: Cloudy. Snow with a few inches possible. Low 24. High 33.

SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Low 25. High 39.

MONDAY: Cloudy. Ice to rain. Low 28. High 40.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Rain showers likely. Low 35. High 46.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 24. High 38.