Three Chances Of Snow In Next Several Days
BOSTON (CBS) - Not 1, not 2, but 3 chances of snow!
Spring is trying to deliver the knockout blow, but winter keeps getting up off the mat.
We are forecasting 50 degrees for a high both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, but it will be a spring sandwich, bracketed on both ends by chances of accumulating snowfall.
And, last but not least, we are tracking what could be a significant coastal storm for the middle of next week. Let's take these three events one by one, blow-by-blow.
PART ONE: The appetizer
Early Saturday morning:
I hesitate to even call this one a storm or an event. It is really just some light precipitation on the leading edge of warmer air coming in for the weekend.
The best chance of rain or snow showers is between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Saturday. The best chance of any snow sticking and accumulating would be well north and west of Boston, outside of Interstate 495 including the Worcester Hills, Berkshires and most of central and northern New England.
Our snowfall forecast: a coating to 1 inch in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
The Berkshires and mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont could see 1 to-3 inches.
PART TWO: The uninvited guest
Sunday night, early Monday morning:
This one may not be on your radar yet. Up until Thursday night it didn't look like this event was even going to happen, and, frankly, we still have our doubts.
A cold front will be making its way through New England late on Sunday without any fanfare.
However, a very small storm system looks like it will spin up along the front in the Ohio Valley and move quickly to the east Sunday night.
This one reminds me of a bowling ball coming down the lane. There is a chance it could go right down the middle and be the perfect "strike" in southern New England.
If that were the case we could be dealing with a plowable snow come Monday morning (first day back to school for many). There is an equal chance, given the small size and fast moving nature of this storm, that it could veer a little south and essentially be a "gutter ball," just grazing our area with some light snow or nearly nothing.
At this point, it would be safe to plan for some light snow accumulation Monday morning, perhaps 1-to-3 inches and stay tuned for further updates. As of this writing, I would say there are equal chances for a bit less or a bit more depending on the exact track. A 3-to-6 inch snowfall cannot be ruled out.
PART THREE: The main course
Tuesday night, Wednesday:
We have been watching this one for a while now. The weather models have consistently hinted at something big in this time frame along the East Coast. The energy from this storm will come from the deep South, right from the Gulf of Mexico, a classic storm track for a sizeable winter storm. The storm will emerge from the Gulf late Monday night and head up the East Coast on Tuesday.
The ultimate storm track is still to be determined, but this one will likely affect all the major cities from Washington D.C. to Boston. There isn't a ton of cold air to work with, so there will undoubtedly be multiple precipitation types with this storm - snow, ice and rain.
At this early writing, I would favor a more wet than white solution along the immediate coastline. The farther west you live from the coast, the better chance you may see some wintry precipitation, (snow and/or ice).
This storm will be much "juicier" than the prior two, therefore, the stakes are much higher with regards to snow accumulation and general disruption to your daily lives. There may also be some wind or coastal concerns unlike the other events detailed above.
Again, the best thing to do is stay tuned to updates this weekend and early next week on WBZ-TV, WBZ NewsRadio 1030 and on CBSBoston.com.
Winter clearly still has some gas left in the tank.
Watch: Terry, Danielle Niles and Pamela Gardner discuss 3 pending storms
Follow Terry on Twitter @TerryWBZ