Plowable snow possible in Massachusetts from long-duration storm
A storm headed for the Boston area this week will bring rain, wind and possibly heavy snow to parts of Massachusetts this week. Here's the latest forecast from the WBZ NEXT Weather Team.
BOSTON - I feel like great weekends have been hard to come by in recent times. Whether it was rain or chillier-than-average temperatures, the urge to get outside was damped quite a bit.
This weekend hasn't been the case. On Saturday, highs hit the mid-50s in most spots with nearly full-on sunshine. The only downside was the pesky wind. All-in-all, I'd say it was pretty nice!
Easter Sunday, for the most part, was a repeat of all the nice things about Saturday, with mild temperatures in the 50s.
Storm timeline in Massachusetts
An impactful system will arrive on Tuesday, stretching all the way into early Friday.
Initially this will arrive as rain, but as the system moves off the coast and strengthens, it will draw colder air into the mix. That changeover will occur on Wednesday into Thursday.
How much rain and snow will Massachusetts get?
A widespread 1-2" of rain are possible, especially across eastern and southeast Massachusetts where the storm will remain as rain for nearly the entire storm. Our soggy backyards and basements really haven't dried out from the last storm (or last year for that matter), and yet another storm may have the sump pumps working again.
While Boston looks to remain just warm enough for most of the storm to fall as rain, that won't be the case to the west.
Worcester and Middlesex County into the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire will receive the best chance of the heavy snow locally.
Region-wide, this will produce a great snowfall for all those resorts in northern New England who will certainly take advantage of extending their season just a little bit longer.
High winds will batter Massachusetts coast
Wind will quickly become a factor Wednesday night into Thursday. The storm will deepen, battering the coast with 40-60 mph gusts at times.
While I don't think coastal flooding will be a huge concern due to tides being astronomically low, beaches will definitely get hit hard with erosion.
WBZ has reported on the beach replenishment projects extensively, and those same spots will have to take notice as this storm could certainly do additional damage.
If there is a silver lining in this storm, the pattern looks to get 'unstuck' over the next 10-15 days. Perhaps we can truly break out into the 60s or 70s!
Stay with WBZ's NEXT Weather Team for the latest on the forecast.