Updated at 130AM

The Week That Was…

Monday…The warm Valentines Day! A spring preview with temperatures in the 50s to around 60 despite some cloudiness.

Tuesday… Back to reality and then some. Arctic cold, 20s, and gusty winds making it feel colder!

Wednesday… Still chilly, but not as cold as the day before, but fairly tranquil.

Thursday & Friday… Spring preview, part 2! Highs in the 50s to low 60s with clouds & sun both days. Lots of melting snow! Thunderstorms Friday night with vivid lightning, loud thunder (see below), & strong winds, rain, some snow north of Boston, & even some hail.

Saturday… Powerful northwest winds causing damage in some areas, lots of clouds, a few snow flurries, and colder temperatures.

Sunday… Still breezy, but bright & dry, though a cold day!

Why was the thunder so loud Friday night? There are 3 answers. 1) Leafless trees do not absorb sound waves nearly as much as ones with full foliage. 2) Snow, which often muffles the sound of thunder when it’s falling or freshly soft in the ground, does just the opposite when it’s hard & crusty. It acts more like a cement floor, reflecting the sound waves, or allowing them to bounce along. 3) Most of the lightning bolts were of positive polarity. What does that mean? About 90% of lightning is of negative polarity, and to simplify this, let’s just look at cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. Negative strikes are occurring between negative charges near the base of the clouds and positive charges on the ground. Positive lightning, which accounts for about 10% of lightning, is much more powerful, as it is discharging between positive charges near the top of the clouds and negative charges around the edges and outside of the storm on the ground below. The distance between the charges is greater, resulting in a more powerful spark, or bolt of lightning. These kinds of lightning discharges cause the thunder that often rolls across the sky, rumbles for several seconds, even up to half a minute or more, and sometimes produces a bottom-out sound so low it shakes the ground & the house you are in.

The Week Ahead…

For some of you, the weekend continues tomorrow, as it is the Presidents Day holiday, but whether it’s the start of a new week for you or the end of your weekend has no influence on the weather. It’s going to snow, but not much. We’ve been advertising a snow threat for Monday for several days now, and it is going to verify. It will not be a big storm, however, as a relatively weak wave of low pressure will be sliding rapidly eastward, passing just south of New England. The snow in the Boston area will begin around 2AM or 3AM and last until around or shortly after noon. Expect a slightly earlier start time to the snow in areas to the west of the city. Impact from this system will be minimal, even thought its peak will be during the Monday commute, as many people will not be on the roads due to the holiday.  Snow amounts should range from less than 1 inch in southern New Hampshire to around 1 inch to locally 2 inches in most of eastern MA. Similar amounts are expected to the south and west, though a few amounts locally over 3 inches are possible anywhere south and west of Worcester. Isolated 4 or 5 inch amounts are about as high as we can see out of this storm, and that would most likely occur in CT or southwestern MA.

High pressure from the north will build into the region late Monday and continue to dominate into midweek. This will shunt a second wave of low pressure south of New England on Tuesday, which will be a bright but very windy & cold day. Temperatures will moderate and winds will be lighter on Wednesday, a splendid but chilly late winter day.

As high pressure slips off to the east on Thursday, milder temperatures are expected, but you’ll notice clouds on the approach in the afternoon as the next storm system gets ready to move in from the west. There are some uncertainties with how this system, and another potential follow up storm over the weekend will play out, because the tracks of both storms remain uncertain. My current feeling is that the Friday system will track over or just northwest of the Boston area, which is a mild scenario, making me lean in the rain direction. After a break on Saturday, the next system is due on Sunday. It’s a week out, but early indications are that this storm may be a colder one, with at least some snow/mix involved. We’ll fine tune the late week situation as it gets a little closer.

A detailed forecast for the Boston area follows below. Have a great week everybody!

Boston Area Forecast…

MONDAY: Cloudy with snow in the morning, average accumulation under 1 inch in southern NH, around 1 inch north of the Mass Pike, 1 to 3 inches south of the Mass Pike, with the greatest chance of the 3 inch amounts south of Worcester.  Breaking clouds the first half of the afternoon & becoming mostly sunny during the second half of the afternoon. High near 30. Wind north up to 10 mph.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Low 10 to 15. Wind northwest 15 to 25 mph. Wind chill near zero.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. High 25 to 30. Wind northwest 15 to 25 mph. Wind chill in the teens.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Low 10 to 15 except  5 to 10 inland valleys. Wind northwest diminishing to under 10 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny. High 33 to 38. Wind variable around 10 mph.

THURSDAY: AM sunshine. PM clouds. Low 25. High 40.

FRIDAY: AM rain/mix. PM clearing. Low 35. High 50.

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 25. High 35.

SUNDAY: Chance of snow/mix. Low 25. High 35.

444PM

If you were in eastern MA and parts of RI last night, you probably saw the bright lightning, heard the booming thunder, then heard and/or felt the wind which roared in on the heels of the departing storms. And that wind has kept up all night and all day today! Many locations have seen gusts over 50 mph with even some wind damage reported.

Here is a link to a list of wind gusts from various areas in southern New England: http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0&highlight=off&issuedby=BOX&product=PNS

Also, a list of damage reports can be found here: http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0&highlight=off&issuedby=BOX&product=LSR

Thanks to our friends at the National Weather Service in Taunton and the many spotters for the information.

This bout of interesting weather is likely a preview of an upcoming pattern that will feature several battles between airmasses, the next of which will take place Monday followed by another stretch of unsettled weather to end next week.

Along with the strong winds today, a few scattered light snow showers have been around, though most places have not seen them. Conditions will not really change that much through tonight. In fact, a second burst of stronger winds is now moving in after a brief, almost unnoticeable lull this afternoon. Expect lots of clouds, a few isolated light snow showers, and NW winds of 15-35 mph with gusts 40-50 mph (even a few 50+ gusts) through the evening hours, and a slight diminishing of wind and decreasing of clouds later at night.

Sunday, there may be some lingering clouds early as a final disturbance passes by, but unless you are an early-riser you would probably not even see these clouds. Expect most of the day to be dominated by sunshine, though a few scattered fair weather clouds may develop later in the morning into the afternoon. They will not be as widespread as today’s clouds. Gusty winds will continue especially through the early afternoon as we remain to the east of the axis of high pressure on the western edge of a strong gradient between this high just to the west and the low over the Canadian Maritimes.

By Sunday night, winds will drop rapidly to near calm but clouds will increase from west to east as low pressure moves toward the region. This low pressure area is expected to pass just south of New England on Monday, Presidents Day, with a snow event of about 12 hours duration, roughly 2am to 2pm for Boston, a bit earlier start & end to the west. At this point, I expect a general 1 to 4 inch snowfall from this event. This low pressure system will depart by Monday night, with skies becoming partly cloudy. There may be a few lingering snow showers Monday night and first thing Tuesday morning as an arctic cold front drops through the region from northwest to southeast. This front will deliver quite a shot of cold air for the second Tuesday in a row, with Tuesday expected to be a bright day, but with highs in the 20s and a strong northwest wind making it feel even colder.

High pressure from Canada will build southeastward across New England Tuesday night with clear skies, lighter winds, and very cold temperatures, but this same high will bring sunny skies for Wednesday with some recovery in temperature, back to the 30s in the afternoon, with continued lighter winds.

Thursday is expected to be a dry day, and slightly milder- fairly tranquil for this time of year. But that is not expected to last, as it now appears we will be in a battle zone between warmer weather over the southeastern US & very cold air in Canada, with a chance of rain and/or snow at times from Friday into next weekend.

Quick forecast for the Boston Area…

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with scattered light snow showers early. Partly cloudy late. Low 15-20. Wind northwest 15-30 mph with frequent gusts 35-45 mph.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High 30-35. Wind northwest 15-25 mph with higher gusts.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Snow from around 2AM on. Low 25-30. Wind light variable.

MONDAY –  PRESIDENTS DAY: Overcast with snow through about 2PM, accumulation 1-4 inches. Breaking clouds late in the day but still a few lingering snow showers possible. High 30-35. Wind north 5-10 mph.

MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy with scattered snow showers. Low 15-20. Wind north 10-20 mph.

TUESDAY: Partly cloudy with isolated snow showers early, then mostly sunny. High 23-28. Wind north to northwest 15-25 mph with higher gusts.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Low 10-15 . Wind northwest 5-15 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny. High 35-40. Wind variable up to 10 mph.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 42.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY: Chance of rain and/or snow. Lows 25-35. Highs 35-45.

715PM

The end of the spring preview is approaching. A cold front is moving across New England and is setting off showers, and even a few possible thunderstorms, which are marching across MA now.

These showers and possible thunderstorms will cross eastern MA and far southern NH through 900pm. Brief moderate to heavy rain is possible.

Later tonight, showers will end, clouds will break, but winds will pick up, and get quite strong overnight. This will continue Saturday, and with colder air moving in, some scattered snow showers are possible.

Detailed blog for the holiday weekend will appear later tonight or first thing Saturday morning! Quick look at the weekend:

SATURDAY: Mixed sun/clouds, windy, colder, high near 40 but falling through the 30s. Scattered snow showers.

SUNDAY: Sunshine, clouds late, chilly. High in the 30s.

MONDAY – PRESIDENTS DAY: A few inches of snow possible.

730AM

Good morning all!

Sorry again for the lack of posts. A bit under the weather this week…

Near 60 today in the Boston area. Enjoy if you can!

Back to reality this weekend including strong wind Saturday! Might it snow by Presidents Day?

Full update coming later today. Have a great one!

430PM

Boston Area Weather Update…

I hope you all enjoyed what you could of the unseasonably mild Valentine’s Day. Temperatures reached or exceeded 50 in much of the area, but this is about to come to an abrupt end. A bank of clouds has rolled back across the sky from the WNW during the past hour, along the leading edge of a very cold airmass that will charge into the region tonight. A few rain showers may occur in the next couple hours ahead of the very cold air. Once the front passes, other than an isolated snow shower, expect dry but much colder and very windy conditions to quickly establish themselves tonight! Temperatures will plunge through the 40s, 30s, 20s, and into the teens during the night. Wind shifting to northwest will increase to 15-30 mph but gusts will exceed 40 mph. Wind chill values will be near zero by dawn.

Tuesday, except a bright day with 100% sunshine, but a strong northwest wind and arctic air will combine to make high temperatures in the lower to middle 20s feel more like single numbers & teens. Wind chills may even drop below zero at times. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph can be expected!

Winds will settle down gradually Tuesday night, and under a clear sky, temperatures which were only near 20 by the end of the day Tuesday will drop to around 10 during the overnight hours. If the wind went completely calm, some areas outside of urban centers and away from the coast would head for zero. But it looks like enough wind will blow to keep the air mixed up. The wind will make it feel like zero anyway, so a calm wind and air temperature of zero would probably feel better than a windy zero!

Wednesday, partly cloudy skies are expected as warmer air begins to move back in above us, and a slight warming trend begins at the surface as well. Highs will climb into the 30s with a lighter wind from the west, mostly around 10 mph.

A more genuine warmup is expected Thursday & Friday with highs in the 40s Thursday and probably getting into the lower 50s in many areas on Friday (similar to today). A southwest wind will begin to freshen and may gust over 25 mph by Friday. These days will see some decent snowmelt, but not too fast, so flooding will not be a problem.

You know even the next warmup cannot last forever, since it’s still mid February. And this is true. A cold front will cross the region Friday night with a few rain showers, and Saturday will be a partly cloudy, windy day. It still be cooler Saturday, with highs in the lower 40s, but a secondary front will cross the region at night with a possible snow shower, and Sunday should be a bright & colder day with high temps in the lower 30s.

The next blog will update conditions expected for this week and take a peek into next week!

400PM

Is it Sunday already? Time for a look ahead at the next 7 days!

Yes, we’re still in a bit of a roller coaster temperature pattern, which will continue for 2 more days. We’ve had a slightly milder weekend, though today is a little cooler than Saturday was. Some of you in the Boston area may have noticed a little very light snow falling early this afternoon as a warm front slid across the region. This front will be pushing north of this area tonight, into northern New England, and will provide focus for a Valentines Day snowfall in the northern ski areas. In southern New England, Valentines Day will be mainly dry, with only a slight chance of a rain shower during the day and a snow shower at night as we will be in the warm sector south of a passing low pressure area. A cold front will charge across the region at night, setting us up for a bright but very cold Tuesday.

A warming trend begins on Wednesday, and will last through Friday. These 3 days will see varying amounts of clouds, but no precipitation. Some areas may see 50 degree temperatures, or possibly even higher. Which day will this occur? The answer is below.

A peek at next weekend shows that Saturday should be a windy day with possibly a rain shower to start the day as mild air departs the region, leading to a bright but colder Sunday. Oh and since next weekend is a long weekend for some of you, how about a quick bonus peek at Presidents Day (Monday February 21). It may snow. But after all, it is February…

Details for the Boston area go like this…

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Temperature holding steady in the middle 30s. Wind southwest up to 15 mph.

MONDAY – VALENTINES DAY: Mostly cloudy. Isolated light rain showers. High in the lower to middle 40s. Wind southwest 10-20 mph gusting around 25 mph.

MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy with isolated snow showers early, then clearing. Low near 20. Wind northwest 15-25 mph. Wind chill below 10 at times.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. High in the upper 20s, about 30 in Boston. Wind northwest 10-20 mph but gusting to near 30 mph at times.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Low from near 10 inland to near 20 along the coast. Wind northwest 5-15 mph diminishing.

WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. High near 40.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low near 30.

THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. High in the upper 40s.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Low in the middle 30s.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. High in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Low in the upper 30s.

SATURDAY: Partly sunny. High in the lower 40s.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low in the middle 20s.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High in the lower 30s.

730PM

As we continue to transition out of the stormy pattern of January & early February, we will see a period of up and down temperatures during the next 5 days. Beyond that, we will see an upswing in temperatures for at least a couple days.

Winter cold was in firm hold of the area today, but along with plenty of sunshine. The continued cold weather has only solidified the still very deep snowpack, which is now hard & icy. A milder day is on tap for Saturday, though clouds will also be more dominant. A few light rain or snow showers may occur ahead of an approaching cold front. This front will cross the region Saturday night, making Sunday a little colder. A clipper-type disturbance will move eastward from the Great Lakes across northern New England later Sunday into Monday. Its warm front will cross the region late Sunday, probably producing a period of light snow, especially in northern New England but even in parts of southern New England. Behind this warm front will be milder temperatures for Valentines Day, before a cold front comes through later in the day sending another batch of cold air into New England by Tuesday.

A more significant warmup will get underway late Wednesday when temperatures will go above freezing after remaining below freezing from Monday night through Wednesday morning. But this warmup will be more noticeable Thursday through Friday of next week.

Details of Boston area weather…

TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Low 15-20 inland, 20-25 Boston & coast. Wind light west.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of a few rain or snow showers during the afternoon. High 35-40. Wind southwest 5-15 mph.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low 20-25. Wind west 5-15 mph shifting to northwest with gusts up to 25 mph.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. A period of light snow from late morning into mid afternoon with accumulation of under 1 inch. High 30-35. Wind variable around 10 mph.

MONDAY: AM rain or snow showers. Late day snow squall? Low 30. High 42.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 25.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 15. High 37.

THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 25. High 45.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 33. High 51.

125am

As I write this entry late at night, a low, bowl-shaped moon hangs just above the western horizon, yellowish white, in a clear winter sky. It reminds me of the final page of a book that had alot of turmoil in it, but a peaceful ending, sort of ending one story and ready to start another. This is about where we are in the weather right now.

We are now officially out of the stormy pattern. However, that doesn’t  mean days and days of fair, warm weather. After all, it’s still February! But that doesn’t mean we won’t see some mild temperatures in the near-future. There will be a bit of a roller coaster ride with temperatures during the next week as a series of weak disturbances pass through the region. None of these appear to have much chance of producing significant precipitation.

Breaking things down, expect a bright & very cold start to the day on Friday with early morning temperatures ranging from the single numbers to lower teens, least cold along the coast and in the city of Boston. Later in the day, some clouds will move in, but they will not produce any snow. Highest temperatures will probably fall just shy of freezing, topping out around 30 in the Boston area.

Friday night will feature varying amounts of clouds, and temperatures not quite as cold as the previous night, bottoming out in the upper teens over inland areas to the middle 20s in downtown Boston.

A series of disturbances will pass through the region Saturday through Monday, the first being a cold front on Saturday which will bring a fair amount of clouds and a few scattered snow showers – greatest chance in the afternoon. A couple ripples of low pressure moving through during Sunday & early Monday will produce periods of light snow over northern New England, with up to a few inches possible in the mountains, and just some scattered rain and snow showers in southern New England.

Late Monday & Tuesday, expect a return to dry but breezy & chilly weather. After daytime highs in the 30s to around 40 Saturday-Sunday and possibly in the lower 40s Monday, it will chill back to the teens Monday night and climb back to only the lower 30s Tuesday.

A midweek warmup appears likely, along with dry weather but some varying clouds. High temperatures in the lower to middle 40s can be expected Wednesday. Temperatures in the 40s will be common Thursday, though some areas may make a run at 50. Milder temperatures, and the lack of storminess during these days will promote slow snow-melt, relieving stress on roofs and removing some of the snowpack that could potentially add to flooding problems as Spring arrives.

Mild weather is expected to be replaced by a chill once again as the long gets underway.

There are signs that the southern jet stream may activate toward the end of this month. And this is only speculation right now, but it means we could see a return to a stormy pattern late this month.

410pm

It looks like we have reached a break in the stormy pattern that has gone on for 6 weeks. The blocking pattern that forced cold air southward into the eastern US and storms down toward the Gulf of Mexico and often up the East Coast has broken down, and will be replaced by a more zonal (west to east) flow in the upper levels during the next week. This will be slow to occur, with a broad trough translating eastward across the Great Lakes & Northeast during the next few days, bringing drier but cold weather to New England.

Slightly milder weather will visit the region starting on the weekend. But don’t expect completely sunny weather. A couple disturbances passing through the region may produce some snow showers and even a period of light snow.

Boston Area Forecast…

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High 25-30. Wind southwest 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low 10-15. Wind west 5-15 mph.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. High 20-25. Wind northwest 5-15 mph.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 11. High 32.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. PM snow showers. Low 19. High 38.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow. Low 24. High 35.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Low 23. High 34.

700am

Light snow, except mix coast, will be ending during this morning.

A period of snow showers this afternoon may produce moderate to briefly heavy snow that could accumulate 1/2 to 1 inch in some areas, temporarily reducing visibility and slicking up roads. This will occur along the leading edge of a cold airmass that will bring cold but dry weather for midweek.

Full blog update later this afternoon!

TONIGHT: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 20-25. Wind west under 10 mph. Watch for black ice!

MONDAY: Cloudy. High 34-39. Wind light variable.

MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Snow after midnight. Low 25-30. Wind south under 10 mph.

TUESDAY: Cloudy with snow in the morning – total accumulation 1 to 3 inches. Clearing afternoon. High 30-35. Wind south up to 10 mph morning, northwest increasing to 15-25 mph afternoon.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 25.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Low 10. High 25.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 30.

1250pm

I’m sure most of you would rather forget the 5 weeks we just had. I assure you, I am not one of them. While certainly not the snowiest period of weather we’ve ever had, it was right up there with some of the big ones. So instead of getting into numbers and facts right now, I’ll post some links on those things soon, so you can check them out if you would like to!

My previous blog touched on today’s weather, and we are now enjoying a mostly sunny and relatively mild day, but the enjoyment is being tempered by a gusty wind if you are outside. Also, as mentioned before, there are some really icy areas where packed snow partially melted, collected rain yesterday, then froze early this morning. I was able to stand almost at the top of my driveway and just slide down to the bottom. I have a bit of a chip-out project ahead of me this afternoon – and I’m out of ice melt. Ugh. 😛

Last night, many of you in eastern MA and southeastern NH saw lightning & heard thunder as a clash between warmer air to the south and cold air lingering to the north set off some thunderstorms, near the center of low pressure which cut right across eastern MA during the evening. Vivid lightning was seen, and made even brighter by the snowcover. Locally, a lightning bolt struck in my neighborhood, bringing the fire department to a nearby street. It looks like any damage done was due to a power surge. Some downpours accompanied these storms, but for the most part in this area, we escaped really heavy rainfall, which would have made the roof collapse threat even worse, as a heavy snowpack remained on many roofs.

Looking ahead, the week will start on the mild side Monday, with a few rain showers possible. But a cold front crossing the region will return cold air to the region by Monday night, and a storm moving northeastward along this boundary will bring a 12-hour snow threat to the region from about 11pm Monday to 11am Tuesday (except rain or snow over far southeastern areas). I’ll be looking more closely at this snow threat and posting forecast amounts later. There is the potential for a few inches in some areas with this system. Dry & cold weather is expected Wednesday-Friday. Some of  you may remember talk of a storm threat around Thursday, and that storm will certainly exist, but at this time it appears it may track over the ocean well east of here, and not score a hit.

There continue to be signs of a large scale pattern change starting about the middle of the month. A more zonal (west to east) flow in the upper level winds would mean somewhat milder and much less stormy weather. I’m not 100% convinced this is about to occur, but I’m leaning in that direction.

An evening blog will include a detailed Boston area forecast for the week ahead! Have a Super Sunday everyone!

340am

Hi all! Another quick update early this Sunday morning.

Focusing on today’s weather:

Up-sides: Sunny, mild (high temps in the middle 40s).

Down-sides: Windy (west wind gusting as high as 35 mph), icy ground where hard-packed snow on some walkways and driveways was smoothed out by the mild rain of Saturday evening.

A new blog in a few hours will detail past weather including the pattern we have been in, the storm that just went by, including thunderstorms last night, another cold week ahead, and a probable pattern change starting at mid month!

200am

Brief update. Saturday’s storm is going to take a slightly further westward track, allowing milder air to dominate and meaning much of the precipitation in the Boston area will fall as rain. There is still a change to snow likely toward storm’s end but accumulations should be limited to a couple inches or less later at night to early Sunday morning.

More later this morning…

1150pm

New England continues to be the pins in Mother Nature’s bowling alley. As the region continues to slowly recover from the lastest 1-2 punch, another disturbance is taking aim on us. Though it does not look like a major storm,  there is the potential for some plowable snow to fall again on Saturday. I expect a developing and slowly organizing low pressure area to move from the Mid Atlantic Coast to just southeast of Cape Cod during Saturday & Saturday evening, then away from New England at night. This time, the air ahead of the storm will be a little less cold than it has been in many of our setups. This probably means that some mix/rain will occur especially early in the storm from the Boston area to Cape Cod, with the Cape having the best chance of straight rain. Snow should fall to the north and west of Boston though it could briefly mix with rain, freezing rain, or sleet there. As the storm goes on, colder air will work in from the north and northwest, changing it to snow from northwest to southeast. And a lingering trough behind the departing low may keep the snow going a little longer into Saturday night over portions of central, east central, and northeastern MA and nearby southern NH. Snowfall amounts should run from around 1 inch over Cape Cod (occurring late in the storm), 1-3 inches over the remainder of southeastern and coastal MA & much of RI, 3-5 inches over the balance of eastern and central MA & southern NH. Isolated 6 to 7 inch amounts are possible in some areas of central to northeastern MA and southern NH, depending on the coverage and intensity of snow behind the departing storm at night.

Superbowl Sunday is expected to be tranquil and not too cold, as there is no batch of Arctic air ready to pounce this time. Some low level moisture lingering may mean that clouds may be stubborn to depart.

Looking into next week, there are storm threats Monday into Tuesday, & again around Thursday. At this time, I’m not going to get into details about these threats, other than to say that I believe anything that falls Monday may include mixed precipitation, anything that falls Tuesday would probably be snow, and odds favor snow with the system around Thursday. Some of the longer range guidance show this system having the potential to be a rapidly-intensifying one, but it’s so far away that there is no way to tell the degree of impact it will have in this area.

A quick forecast for the Boston area…

OVERNIGHT: Clear. Low ranging from near 0 in deeper valleys to around 15 in the urban centers. Wind light variable.

FRIDAY: Sunshine, but high clouds showing up in the southwestern sky by late in the afternoon.   High 30-35. Wind west 5-15 mph.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Low 20-25. Wind west 5-10 mph.

SATURDAY: Cloudy in the morning. Light rain/mix coast, mix/snow inland afternoon. High 33-38. Wind west up to 10 mph early, light variable midday, east up to 10 mph by late in the day.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mix to snow coast with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Snow inland with 3 to 5 inches of snow expected and a few locally heavier amounts possible. Low 20-25. Wind northeast to north increasing to 10-20 mph.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. High 32-37. Wind northwest 5-15 mph.

MONDAY: PM rain showers. Low 28. High 40.

TUESDAY: Snow showers. Low 22. High 30.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 10. High 25.

THURSDAY: Chance of snow. Low 15. High 25.