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Forecast: Preparing For Wednesday's Storm

It’s a quiet day today with a lot of sunshine. There will be some late day clouds, but enough sun to help boost temperatures into the lower and middle 30s.

Clouds are going to increase tonight and snow breaks out between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Wednesday. It will snow hardest from about 7 a.m. until around 1 p.m. During this time most of the accumulation will occur. In the afternoon there will be some lighter snow still falling at times, but cleanup will occur, and I expect roads to improve for the latter half of the afternoon.

David Epstein's Wednesday snowfall predictions, as of 6 a.m. Tuesday (Click to enlarge)
David Epstein's Wednesday snowfall predictions, as of 6 a.m. Tuesday (Click to enlarge)

Across Cape Cod and the islands the snow will change to rain and cut down amounts significantly. For the last couple of hours of precipitation from about 4 to 6 p.m., the rain should end as a brief period of snow.

Type Of Snow

The snow will be heavy and wet south of Boston and become increasingly less heavy the further north you travel. North of the Massachusetts Turnpike the snow will be much lighter and therefore able to pile up to higher amounts.

Power Issues

While I am not expecting widespread power issues, the heavy, wet nature of the snow across the South Shore could take down some tree limbs and in turn hit wires. This isn’t something easy to predict, but be aware the possibility is there.

Wind

There won’t be much in the way of wind with this system. Winds will come from the east at 10 to 20 mph at the coast—certainly nothing even close to those storms which bring strong winds.

Commutes

The Wednesday morning commute is going to be a mess. Snow will be falling at heavy rates throughout the commute. I would recommend, if you can, working from home tomorrow. There will be widespread cancellations and those of you in the areas with the heavy snow predicted will have your kid’s home to help.

Changes To The Forecast

Here’s what can go wrong with this forecast: the biggest potential change will be to areas south of Boston. If the storm tracks farther north or south, the snow amounts will change dramatically. This afternoon, if the new data shows a colder storm, I will need to “up” the amounts for Cape Cod and the islands. If the new data shows an even warmer system and a change to rain earlier, the amounts will drop. Remember, the map of snowfall is based on the best data at the time. It will change as more information comes available this afternoon.

Extended Forecast

The weather turns calmer for a few days Thursday through Saturday with a blend of clouds and sunshine and highs in the upper 20s to near 30. It will be nice to get outside and enjoy the new snow. The next storm threat is Sunday afternoon through Monday. There will be a big storm developing. However, the amount of snow could be near zero if the storm stays hundreds of miles off the coast or a much more significant storm if the track takes the system closer to the region. It’s still 5 or 6 days away and impossible to know at this stage.


Today: Mostly sunny with a high of 30 to 35.

Tonight: Snow developing from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Lows in the mid 20s. One to 3 inches of snow by 8 a.m.

Wednesday: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times, especially before 1 p.m. Highs in the lower 30s. Mid 30s on Cape Cod and the islands.

Wednesday Night: Snow will end with little additional accumulation.

Thursday: Mostly sunny with a high of 28 to 31.

Thursday Night: Mostly sunny with a high in the upper 20s to lower 30s.

Friday and Saturday: Mostly sunny with a high in the upper 20s to lower 30s.

Sunday: Clouding up with more snow possible.

Follow updates from David Epstein on Twitter @growingwisdom.

Headshot of David Epstein

David Epstein Meteorologist
David Epstein was WBUR's meteorologist.

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