Sunday snow squalls could create hazardous driving in parts of Massachusetts
By Meteorologist Alyssa Andrews
BOSTON - The WBZ Next Weather Team has issued a Next Weather Alert for Sunday, January 14 due to potentially dangerous snow squalls.
The primary concern on Sunday will be the possibility for snow squalls, especially in the afternoon and early evening hours. With this comes a risk of localized and brief hazardous travel.
Sunday morning the National Weather Service, issued Snow Squall Warnings in Pennsylvania and New York. Massachusetts and all of New England could see similar warnings issued this afternoon and early evening.
What is a Snow Squall?
A snow squall is a winter weather hazard that is often associated with a strong cold front.
They are intense in nature, but usually limited in duration. They typically last for under an hour.
They are considered very dangerous because they can cause moderate to heavy snowfall that will rapidly reduce visibility and make for hazardous driving conditions.
When a snow squall occurs, roads can quickly become snow-covered.
Drivers are cautioned to stay vigilant Sunday afternoon, as visibilities may drop quickly. In the worst-case scenario, snow squalls can cause white-out conditions. It's important to remain cautious during the hours through 7 p.m. Sunday.
The best case for Sunday would be to see simple scattered snow showers into the afternoon. We would still encounter mixed precipitation near the coastline.
It will continue to stay breezy the next few days. A wind advisory is still in place for the islands through 7 p.m. Sunday evening.
This includes the cities of Vineyard Haven, Nantucket, and New Shoreham. Southwest winds will be at 25-35 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph.
Looking Ahead to Tuesday
After the Sunday snow squall potential, we continue to keep an eye on incoming snow showers on Tuesday. This continues the "parade of storms" we've had over the past couple of weeks.
We remain under a Next Weather Alert for Tuesday.
There is still some uncertainty as to the track of the low pressure system, and how much these surface features can interact with the passing trough.
The farther out to sea it tracks, the weaker the system will be for us. That would mean less snowfall for Tuesday. That being said, we believe the incoming showers will make enough of an impact to warrant a Next Weather Alert.
A sharp drop in temperatures will take place this week. Our current forecast includes several days in a row where temperatures don't make it above the freezing mark of 32 degrees. Get ready for the frigid winter air!