Oh, the joys of winter in Boston: one day, it’s a balmy 45 degrees and sunny, and the next day it’s a full-on winter snowstorm. That’s the shift we’ve noticed this season, and even our worst snowstorms are akin to the past season’s regular daily snowfall.
What is going on?
The National Weather Service meteorologists have put a winter storm watch into effect for Boston, but the accumulation is only expected to max out at 4 inches.
The storm will commence with snow on Friday night, beginning around 9 PM.
Saturday at 5 AM, the warm coastal winds will shift the precipitation into a sleet and wintery mix, which is what most of the concern for driving is centered around. This wintery mix will last until about 6 PM on Saturday, and then shift over to snow for a but before it closes as a rain from the heat and pull of the 35-45 mile per hour winds. Peak wind gusts will be Saturday morning into the early afternoon, especially in coastal areas. As temperatures drop below freezing at night, we could see black ice.
Boston is expected to receive 2-4 inches of snow total in addition to the sleet and rain mix. The snow will begin at 9 PM on Friday with 1 inch per hour bursts strating around 2 AM on Saturday morning. If you wake before 7 AM, you might catch a snowy Boston, however if you decide to sleep in, you’ll probably wake to a rainy and wind filled gloomy city. There is a chance for another burst of snow amidst all the sleet at 6 PM on Saturday.
If you’re looking for more snow, you’ll have to go up to Northern New England for skiing where snowfall is expected to hit anywhere from 6 to 12 inches over the course of Friday and Saturday.
This winter weather brings a cautionary mix of snow and sleet to the area. The sleet is the major concern for this snowstorm, causing slippery conditions. For the Sunday, we’re looking mostly clear with a potential light snow late next week. The lapse of cold weather makes it all the more testing for Bostonians when there is snow.