Forecast: Thursday Storm To Bring Heavy, Wet Snow To Boston

After a dry, sunny and cold Wednesday, a coastal storm will move through New England Thursday and early Friday, bringing up to 7 inches of snow to parts of Boston.

Snow will begin across Massachusetts between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. The snow will accumulate quickly, making travel become difficult across the area.

As the morning progresses, warmer air will change the snow to rain across Cape Cod and the Islands and wash away any accumulation of snow. In Boston, up to 7 inches of heavy, wet snow will accumulate before any change to rain. The rain/snow line will move west during the mid to late afternoon period, reaching about the Route 495 belt. It’s during this time snow will be particularly heavy across the central part of the state, where accumulations could reach a foot. Up to 15 inches could fall on western Massachusetts.

The storm will bring strong winds to the coast, however since tides are astronomically low, I am not concerned about major coastal flooding. There could be some power outages due to the heavy weight of the snow. Additionally, heavy rain may cause street and basement flooding in areas prone to this.

The precipitation will wind down during the evening as the rain/snow line begins to move back towards the coast overnight. After midnight, there could be another period of snow moving through the area with a new coating up to 3 inches. This final area of snow is not a sure bet yet and will need to be watched closely as it could impact the Friday morning commute.

A weak system brings a chance of some snow showers or period of light snow during Saturday. Sunshine finally returns for Sunday.

Wednesday: Sunny, highs in the mid 20s

Wednesday night: Increasing clouds, lows 14-20

Thursday: Snow developing early in the morning and quickly changing to rain over Cape Cod and the Islands. Snow accumulates several inches in Boston before any change. Heavier snow west of Routes 128 and especially along 495. Highs 40 on the Cape, 30 west of 495 and 36 in Boston

Thursday night: Rain and snow ending then a quick period of snow possible towards early Friday morning. Lows in the upper 20s to low 30s

Friday: A chance of snow, mainly before 9 a.m. Then turning partly sunny and breezy with a high near 39

Friday night: Cloudy, some light snow possible near dawn

Saturday: A chance of snow showers or a period of light snow in the morning, highs in the mid 30s

Sunday: Sunny and cold highs in the mid 20s

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