Blow Drier

11:26PM

Out goes the warm and wet wet, in comes the mild and dry, along with a gusty wind today into Monday. High pressure building in but remaining far enough to the south that a gradient between it and low pressure to the north will keep a drying breeze going for the next couple days, but absent will be the bitter cold we saw much of last week. There will be a trend to colder as the coming week goes on, and some storminess as well. I’ll try to iron out the details and post a longer update with a forecast for the entire week upcoming a little later. For now, here’s an update to the forecast for southeastern New England…

TODAY: Sun and clouds through midday, more sun afternoon. Highs in the 40s. Wind W 15-25 MPH with higher gusts of 30-40 MPH, maybe even stronger in some higher elevations.

TONIGHT: Clear. Lows 25-30. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting 30-35 MPH at times.

MONDAY: Sunny morning. Increasing high clouds afternoon. Highs 45-50. Wind W 10-15 MPH still gusting above 20 MPH.

TUESDAY: Cloudy. Periods of rain. Lows 35-40. Highs in the 40s.

WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers Wednesday, snow showers Thursday-Friday. Lows in the 30s and highs around 40 Wednesday. Lows 15-20 and highs around 30 Thursday-Friday.

WEEKEND: Snow threat early? Much colder.

Wet Warm Winter Wind

9:21AM

A strong low pressure area will track well west and north of New England today and tonight, dragging lots of warm and modified tropical air northward, and resulting in a period of wet, windy, warm weather for January. The pockets of cold air trapped near the ground that resulted in some pockets of freezing drizzle and freezing rain showers from overnight into this morning are now being obliterated by an increasing southerly wind bringing the warm air in. These winds will increase through the day and will gust to and over 40 MPH, maybe to around 50 MPH in some coastal areas and higher elevations, with scattered wind damage and power outages possible. This warm stormy period will also coincide with the NFL Playoff game between the Patriots and Colts, as mentioned before, which will make for somewhat adverse playing and spectating conditions. All of the rain gets pushed out and away by or shortly after midnight as a cold front sweeps through. The air behind this front is not that cold, and it will only be slightly cooler on Sunday, but bright and very breezy.

As we get into next week, a transition back to colder weather will get underway, though there are some uncertainties as to the details of this. My current best guess is that we’ll have a fair and very mild Monday, wet and slightly cooler Tuesday (still warm enough for rain), colder day Wednesday with a follow up disturbance bringing a chance of rain or snow showers to the South Coast and snow showers elsewhere, a chilly but dry Thursday, then another disturbance bringing a chance of snow showers Friday. A shot of very cold air looks like it may be about a week away (stay tuned for more on this possibility but uncertainty).

Forecast for southeastern New England (southern NH, eastern MA, and RI)…

TODAY: Cloudy. Areas of fog. Periods of rain showers becoming more frequent with time.  Chance of thunderstorms especially later in the day. Temperatures rising from the 30s through the 40s inland valleys, 40s to 50s elsewhere. Wind S to SW increasing to 15-25 MPH with gusts 30-40 MPH except 40-50 MPH along some coastal areas and in higher elevations, especially later in the day.

TONIGHT: Cloudy with numerous showers, some heavy, and a chance of thunderstorms, ending west to east a couple hours either side of midnight. Clearing west to east by dawn. Temperatures in the 50s to near 60 to start then falling back into the 40s overnight. Wind S to SW 15-30 MPH gusting 35-50 MPH, strongest in coastal areas and higher elevations, shifting to W and diminishing to 10-25 MPH with higher gusts overnight.

SUNDAY: Sunny. Temperatures steady in the 40s. Wind W 15-25 MPH with gusts over 30 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 35. High 50.

TUESDAY: Cloudy. Chance of rain. Low 38. High 45.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain and snow showers. Low 32. High 40.

THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 25. High 35.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 23. High 33.

Milder, Wilder

7:28AM

A dash of snow will fall this morning as if to start a list of ingredients that will make up a mix of various kinds of weather during the next few days, all part of a milder pattern that will be in control into next week. Today’s snow, most prominent this morning, is the result of warm air arriving, first aloft, then later at the surface. The snow will not amount to much (less than 1 inch all areas, less than 1/2 inch most areas), but its timing during the commute will make some roads a little more tricky.

Saturday will be a much milder and wetter day as a slug of tropical moisture comes up from the south ahead of a cold front. The wettest part of the day will be afternoon and nighttime, including during the NFL playoff game between the Patriots and Colts in Foxboro MA. This may also be when it is warmest (above 50 in most areas). The cold front will sweep all the wet weather offshore during the overnight hours and by Sunday, expect fair and only slightly cooler conditions along with a gusty wind.

High pressure south of the region will bring mild air back a little stronger on Monday, which will be another 50+ degree day for much of the region, but this time with dry weather. Another front will bring rain showers Tuesday, then a shot of cold air behind it for the middle of the week. We will have to watch a wave of low pressure that may pass just east of the region Thursday, with colder air in place, for the potential of some snow at least for eastern areas. It does look like we’ll transition back to a colder pattern during this time.

Forecast for southeastern New England…

TODAY: Cloudy. Periods of snow through midday with accumulation of under 1 inch. Spotty light snow transitioning to light rain later in the day. Highs in the 30s. Wind light SE shifting to S.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Spotty light rain. Temperatures rising toward 40. Wind S 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY: Cloudy. Rain showers likely, becoming steadier during the afternoon. Highs around 50. Wind S to SW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Overcast with rain, heavy at times, during the evening, ending between 11PM and 2am west to east. Clearing toward dawn. Temperatures in the 50s in the evening, falling into the 40s overnight. Wind S to SW 15-25 MPH and gusty in the evening, shifting to W overnight.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Temperatures steady in the 40s. Wind W 15-25 MPH and gusty.

MONDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 35. High 53.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 38. High 46.

WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. Low 27. High 38.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 22. High 32.

Transition Time

7:11AM

And so the transition to a spell of milder weather is about to get underway, subtly at first as even though today will be a cold day, you’ll notice it far more tolerable than the weather that dominated from Monday night to now. Yes, cold air is still in place, but it’s up several degrees from yesterday and the wind is down a little bit more. This will be under plenty of sunshine as high pressure ridges over the region. Then, cloudiness will advance during the night tonight and thicken up early Friday. It may look like it’s going to snow, and there may even be some flakes in the air and even dusting the ground in a few places, but this will not be because a big storm of snow is on the way, it will be the atmosphere’s response to warmer air moving in, at first above us, then eventually to the surface, which will become much more noticeable but Saturday. The trade-off will be that the warm air will be coming along with a good slug of moisture, and Saturday, which may dawn without rain at least in eastern areas, will be a cloudy day and eventually turn wet everywhere. And it will be rain, not snow, because high temperatures will probably exceed 50 in much of the region. A ribbon of heavier rain may be translating across the region Saturday night, just in time for the NFL Playoff game between the Patriots and the Colts – haven’t we been here before? By Sunday, a rapid dry-out is expected as a cold front pushes all the wet weather offshore. It’ll be slightly cooler Sunday, but still pleasant by January standards, though with a breeze. There’s  not much cold air in store behind that system, so Monday may turn out quite mild. There are signs of a transition back to cold weather as we head toward the middle of next week.

Forecast for southeastern New England (southern NH, eastern MA, and RI)…

TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 25-30. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows 15-20. Wind light variable.

FRIDAY: Cloudy. Spotty light snow except snow or rain South Coast. Highs 33-38. Wind light SE.

SATURDAY: Cloudy. PM rain. Low 33. High 53.

SUNDAY: Clearing. Low 39. High 48.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Low 41. High 57.

TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 38. High 45.

WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. Chance of snow showers. Low 22. High 35.

Slow Thaw

7:14AM

The cold snap will gradually loosen its grip on the northeastern US during the next couple days, with moderating temperatures the result in southern New England. Fair weather will dominate as high pressure moves just south of the region through Thursday. Some moisture from the south may try to sneak up on Friday but will probably result in more clouds but no precipitation. As we shift to a new pattern for a while by the weekend, expect milder weather, but some wet weather for at least a portion of the weekend and possibly unsettled into early next week as well.

Forecast for southeastern New England…

TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 20. Wind W 10-20 MPH and gusty.

TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows around 10. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 30. Wind WSW 10-15 MPH.

FRIDAY: Partly sunny. Low 20. High 40.

SATURDAY: Cloudy. PM rain. Low 30. High 50.

SUNDAY: Clearing. Low 40. High 50.

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain. Low 40. High 50.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 35. High 45.

Another Dive

7:40AM

After a very mild Monday which feature snow-eating fog, rain showers, and highs well into the 50s in some areas, we rapidly went the other way at night as an arctic cold front passed, plunging the region back into the deep freeze along with very cold wind chills. Some snow accompanied the arctic boundary and moved across areas mainly south of the Mass Pike in the early morning hours. These regions were also the same that saw some freezing of still-wet ground from rain earlier at night, so the combination of these will lead to slippery areas to start the day. Otherwise, a bitter cold and mostly sunny day is expected. High pressure will slide south of the region Wednesday, which will still be bright, breezy, and cold. This high will build northward with Thursday being a chilly but more tranquil day. A weak disturbance will increase the cloudiness on Friday and a frontal system may bring rain showers as it turns milder for Saturday and Sunday. This is the start of a milder interlude which will last into next week.

Updated forecast for southeastern New England…

TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 14-19. Wind W 15-35 MPH. Wind chill often below zero.

TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Low 0-5 except 5-10 South Coast. Wind W 10-20 MPH. Wind chill often below zero.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 19-24. Wind W 10-20 MPH. Wind chill near 10.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 10-15. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 27-32. Wind WSW 10-15 MPH.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Lows 15-25. Highs 30-40.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 40s.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 40s.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 40s.

The Week Ahead

8:25PM

Another week of changing weather starts with a transition from mild rain showers to drying with cold air arriving Monday, as low pressure tracks northeastward into eastern  Canada and its trailing cold front sweeps eastward across New England. A secondary cold front will come through the region Monday night with potential snow showers/squalls. Regardless of any snow showers, the front will introduce another Arctic air mass which will bring very cold and windy weather to the region Tuesday into  Wednesday (though it will not be as harsh Wednesday afternoon). High pressure holds over the region into Thursday, which will be a more tranquil day. A weak low pressure system is expected to bring light precipitation to the region  Friday. Seasonable to mild air is expected next weekend as we find ourselves between a high pressure ridge off the US East Coast and a trough of low pressure in the US Midwest. A frontal system in the region means that at some clouds and precipitation may take place, favoring Sunday at this early stage.

Forecast for southeastern New England (RI, eastern MA, and southern NH)…

OVERNIGHT: Cloudy with patchy fog and spotty light rain, with some icing possible early in north central MA and interior southern NH. Temperatures rising to 40-50, coolest well northwest of Boston, mildest South Coast. Wind SE up to 15 MPH.

MONDAY: Cloudy with rain showers likely through mid afternoon, ending west to east with clearing approaching from the west late afternoon (sun may show before it sets especially west and northwest of Boston). Highs around 50 in the morning, then temperatures falling through the 40s into the 30s during the afternoon. Wind S 10-20 MPH and gusty in the morning, shifting to W 15-25 MPH and gusty in the afternoon.

MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy with scattered snow showers and isolated snow squalls. Lows 10-15 except 15-20 South Coast. Wind W to NW 15-25 MPH with gusts over 30 MPH. Wind chills falling to around zero.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy with isolated snow showers. Highs 15-20. Wind WNW 15-25 MPH and gusty.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny. Lows 0-10. Highs 20-30.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows 5-15. Highs 30-40.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow/mix/rain. Lows 20-30. Highs 30-40.

SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Lows 20-30. Highs 35-45.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Lows 25-35. Highs 35-45.

Weekend Update

7:46AM

A few changes being made to the previous forecast, but nothing major. Here’s a summary of what is coming and a short update, with a longer post later today for the week upcoming.

High pressure slides east of New England today as low pressure travels north northeastward into the Upper Ohio Valley. A southerly wind will bring the chance of some light rain later today along with milder air, but it may be cold enough at the surface in the remote northwestern suburbs of Boston for a period of freezing rain first. Not much precipitation is expected, however, so any problems will be very limited.

Monday, the low pressure area will track into eastern Canada, intensifying and whipping a strong cold front eastward across southern New England. With mild air in place a period of rain showers can be expected, but by the end of the day it will be dry and turning colder. A secondary Arctic boundary will cross the region Monday night with a chance of snow showers and snow squalls, and a strong westerly flow will push an Arctic air mass right into the region Tuesday, a much colder day than Monday.

High pressure will try to rebuild over the region Wednesday and Thursday as the core of the coldest air moves out of the region. A weak weather system is expected to push through the region early Friday but it looks like it will be weakening and transferring energy off the Mid Atlantic Coast with fair weather later Friday and Saturday. Confidence on the late week portion of the forecast is low.

Updated forecast for southeastern New England…

TODAY: Partly sunny to mostly cloudy. Spotty light rain afternoon, may freeze on surfaces some inland areas. Highs 35-40. Wind SE to S 5-15 MPH.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Chance of rain showers. Temperatures rising into the 40s. Wind S 10-20 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy with passing rain showers through early aftermppm, then clearing except clouds lingering southeastern MA and RI. Highs around 50 in the morning, dropping to the 30s during the afternoon. Wind S 15-25 MPH in the morning shifting to W midday and afternoon.

MONDAY NIGHT:  Partly cloudy with a chance of snow showers and possible snow squalls. Lows 10-15 except 15-20 South Coast. Wind W 15-30 MPH with higher gusts.

TUESDAY: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Isolated snow showers. Highs 15-20. Wind W 15-30 MPH and gusty with wind chills to zero or below.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows 0-10. Highs 30-40.

THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers at night. Lows 10-20. Highs 35-45.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers morning. Clearing afternoon. Lows 20-30. High 30-40.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Lows 15-25. Highs 30-40.

Swing Time

5:15PM

The storm’s over, and some people are still digging out, especially in snow band areas of Essex County MA, the clear snow jackpot area. Other than these very high amounts, the snow forecast worked out pretty much as expected.

Looking ahead, first to the coldest night in a long while here as pure Arctic air comes across the region, aided by a new snow cover. Perfect conditions for a night of many below zero readings. If you have pipes prone to freezing, please take precautions tonight, if possible, to prevent this.

It stays very cold into Saturday but a temperature recovery above 20 during the day, maybe even to 30 in some areas, will make it feel much nicer than the night previous. Fair weather is expected.

Our pattern of quick changing weather continues Sunday as clouds roll in ahead of the next storm system. This one is expected to travel west of New England and drag warm air up from the south, producing rain here Sunday night and early Monday. But behind this storm awaits a fresh batch of Arctic air. An extremely sharp temperature drop is possible during Monday afternoon and night, with the potential for a flash freeze of rain-soaked areas. More on this later…

The core of Arctic air will move in on Tuesday, and this may be accompanied by snow showers and possible snow squalls. What is a certainty is gusty winds and air temperatures staying in the teens during the day.

High pressure ridges just south of the region Wednesday, and after a frigid start it will attempt to moderate a little bit during the day. The weather will be dry and bright.

The next event looks like a wave of low pressure bringing a chance of snow late Thursday to early Friday. Too early to gauge the magnitude of this potential snow maker.

Updated forecast for southeastern New England…

TONIGHT: Clear. Extreme cold. Lows -20 to -10 rural areas, -10 to 0 elsewhere. Wind NW to W 10-20 MPH with higher gusts, diminishing late. Wind chill values to around or below -20 at times.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs in the 20s. Wind W 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Temperatures steady in the 20s. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain in the afternoon. Late day highs reach the 40s. Wind SW to S 10-20 MPH.

MONDAY: Early rain, then sun/clouds with a late day snow flurry possible. Temperatures fall from near 50 to near 20.

TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of snow showers and snow squalls. Lows 0-10. Highs 10-20.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny. Lows -10 to 0. Highs 20-30.

THURSDAY: Increasing clouds. Chance of snow at night. Lows 10-20. Highs 25-35.

FRIDAY: Chance of snow early followed by clearing. Lows 15-25. Highs 25-35.

Fluff Factor

8:36PM

Our storm continues as of this writing early Thursday evening, but it has not been the same everywhere. Ocean enhancement has been the main story with the snow so far, with highest amounts along the coast and especially over Essex County MA, which will likely be the snow jackpot region as the ocean effect snow continues and combines with energy coming from the southwest that would have produced some decent snow by itself. This means that many of the areas that didn’t see a whole lot of snow will get a slug of moderate to heavy snow during the night and early morning, with several inches falling. With much on the ground already close to the eastern MA coast, as stated above, amounts will be highest in those areas. Along with the snow will be the bitter cold air and strong northeast wind eventually shifting more to the north. When the shift more to the north takes place, that’s when most of the accumulating snow will take place over places like Cape Cod and the Islands. When this is all done, accumulations should be from around 6 inches in southwestern RI to around a foot in much of interior eastern MA, up to around 18 inches in much of east coastal MA, with a jackpot of up to 20-24 inches in parts of Essex County MA. Blowing and drifting snow will be significant.

Bitterly cold air will continue to pour into the region as the storm departs on Friday, and early Saturday will bring some of the coldest air the region has seen in quite a long while. By Sunday, temperatures will moderate a little, but the next storm system will be approaching. Believe it or not, this storm looks like it will travel just west of New England, dragging lots of warm air up with it, and producing a slug of rain, that will obliterate a good amount of the fluff dump of snow we are receiving now. As that storm goes by, another batch of Arctic air awaits, and we’ll be back to the deep freeze by Tuesday and early Wednesday, before the next moderation takes place later next week.

Updated forecast for southeastern New England…

TONIGHT: Snow, heavy at times. Considering blowing and drifting snow. Blizzard conditions near the eastern MA and NH coasts. Temperatures fall through the teens in South Coastal areas and sit in the single numbers above zero elsewhere in the region. Wind NE to N 15-35 MPH with higher gusts.

FRIDAY: Snow continuing in the morning but gradually tapering off from west to east. Cloudy to start but breaking clouds as snow ends with some sun in the afternoon hours. Blowing and drifting snow all day. Temperatures around 10. Wind N 15-35 MPH and gusty. Wind chills well below zero.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clearing. Some blowing snow. Lows -10 to 0. Wind N to NW 15-25 MPH early, diminishing somewhat.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 15-20. Wind W 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows 10-15. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Highs 32-37. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.

MONDAY: AM rain, PM sun/clouds. Temperature rising into 50s early then falling to 30s.

TUESDAY: Passing clouds with snow showers. Lows 0-10. Highs 10-20.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Lows 0-10. Highs 20-30.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Lows 10-20. Highs 30-40.

Snow Doubt About It

3:58PM

First off, let me wish all of you a happy and healthy 2014! Thank you for being part of this blog!

Several days ago, I indicated concern about the period of January 2-4 for a potential winter storm event of some sort, and as would be expected, it was far too early to say much more than that. As much as we’d love to think these things come into focus quickly, they simply do not, given the level of technology available to us. Even at this stage with details much more clear about the event, there are still unknowns that leave us with a forecasting challenge. The details may be more minute, like for example which towns will get over a foot of snow because ocean enhancement and which will not, but nevertheless they remain less than 100% clear. There is always going to be uncertainty built into any forecast. It’s the core of the definition of inexact science given to the term “meteorology”. But with that challenge in place, it’s still not going to deter us from trying to understand it. Now it’s time to “apply the try”.

The storm: It comes in 2 parts, the first a strip of energy that comes in from the west and a developing surface low moving along an Arctic boundary south of New England, delivering  light to occasionally moderate snow from the early hours of Thursday into Thursday evening with a few to several inches falling across the region during this time. The second part will be a hang-back piece of energy spawning a stronger surface low pressure area that passes just a little closer to the region later Thursday night and early Friday. All the while, a sprawling Arctic high pressure area will be in place across extreme northern New England and southeastern Canada, supplying not only very cold air for the storm to be in the form of fluffy snow, but also a pressure gradient and a moderate to occasionally strong northeast wind, adding Atlantic moisture to the system. This will enhance snowfall especially over eastern MA where the highest totals will likely be realized. All of it winds down and comes to an end during the day on Friday, but winds will increase and shift more to the north, pulling pure Arctic air into the region, as well as blowing the snow around during the after the snowfall, reducing visibility significantly at times. Occasional blizzard conditions are not out of the question. When the snow is done falling, expect total accumulations for the entire event to be in the 7 to 14 inch range in most of the region. However, a few lower totals may occur on the South Coast and over Nantucket, and bands of higher totals may take place near the eastern coastal areas of MA due to ocean enhancement. It is too early to say exactly which communities will see the highest totals. This is something best figured out as the event unfolds. Truth be told, anything in this range won’t make much difference because there will be considerable blowing and drifting of snow. The benefit of having snow with such cold air around is that the very low water content of the snow will make it much easier to move (though the wind will counteract some of our efforts to move it). Total snow accumulation that I expect: 7-14 over most of the region, with a few lighter amounts South Coast and Nantucket, and locally higher amounts possible in parts of eastern MA due to ocean-enhanced snowfall. Watch for minor coastal flooding at times of high tides, especially around midnight Thursday night for east-facing shores and midday Friday for north-facing shores.

The cold: The deep freeze arrives during the storm and remains in place into Saturday. Winds will remain quite gusty, so air temperatures in the single digits above and below zero across the region Friday night and early Saturday, combined with the gusty wind, will drive wind chill values to dangerously low levels.

The moderation: Daytime Saturday will remain very cold, struggling to reach 20, but by Sunday expect it to moderate at least to 30 if not above, ahead of the next weather system.

The next system: There are some uncertainties due to varying guidance, but for the time being I will go for a fast moving system heading northward, passing just west of New England Sunday night and Monday, then dragging a cold front through here. It may warm up significantly as this system makes its approach, then likely turn dramatically colder as it drags a cold front across the region at its conclusion.

Cold again: A fresh batch of Arctic air is likely to arrive behind the Monday system, turning it very cold again for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

………………………………….

Updated forecast for southeastern New England…

TONIGHT: Clouding up. Snow developing west to east before dawn but only minor accumulation at most (less than 1 inch). Lows 12-17. Wind light NE.

THURSDAY: Overcast. Snow much of the time, light to moderate in most areas, accumulating up to a few inches during the day. Highs 18-23. Wind NE 10-20 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Overcast. Snow, light to moderate early, moderate to at times heavy later, accumulating several inches during the night. Blowing and drifting snow. Lows 7-12 except 12-17 South Coast.  Wind NE 15-25 MPH gusting 30-40 MPH. Wind chills around zero.

FRIDAY: Overcast with snow in the morning, tapering off from west to east with time, but accumulating a few more inches (see above for storm totals). Breaking clouds afternoon. Blowing and drifting snow. Temperatures steady 7-12 except 12-17  south Coast. Wind NE to N 15-35 MPH. Wind chills often below zero.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows -10 to 0. Highs 15-25.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Lows 5-15. Highs 32-42.

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy with rain AM. Breaking clouds PM but chance of rain showers then snow showers. Temperature rise to 45-55 morning, fall to 30s afternoon.

TUESDAY: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Lows 5-15. Highs 15-25.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Lows -5 to 5. Highs 15-25.