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Rain and wind hit Mass., with potential for flash freezing into Saturday morning

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Brooks Payne shoots a video of waves washing across Long Wharf in Boston at high tide during the storm on Dec. 23. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Brooks Payne shoots a video of waves washing across Long Wharf in Boston at high tide during the storm on Dec. 23. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

A storm from the Midwest on Thursday delivered Greater Boston a dose of wind and rain, along with crashing temperatures.

The worst of the storm is hitting on Friday in terms of rain, wind and coastal flooding. As cold air blasts into New England in the afternoon, we will see another spike in wind gusts.

Wind

Wow, it has been howling out there. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., gusts will generally run between 30-40 mph. A secondary burst of wind gusting at 40-50 mph from 4 to 9 p.m. will come from a different wind direction — the southwest — causing new pockets of damage and power loss.

(Courtesy NBC10 Boston First Alert Weather)
(Courtesy NBC10 Boston First Alert Weather)

Early Saturday, gusts 25-35 mph will slow cleanup and restoration efforts a bit.

Rain

The region saw a very rainy day. Rainfall totals will generally run around 1 1/2 to 2 inches, with localized flooding, ponding of water and hydroplaning concerns. I'm not anticipating widespread flash flooding. Some minor river and stream flooding is possible.

Snow

As the surge of cold air arrives Friday evening, some scattered snow showers and squalls may drop a quick coating of snow in a few communities. Don't let that catch you off guard.

Flash freeze potential

Temperatures were in the 50s Friday morning, but the mild air will feel like a distant memory later on. Temperatures will drop rapidly in the evening, causing any leftover moisture on the roads or untreated surfaces to freeze quickly. The 6 to 8 p.m. timeframe is the main concern.

This also coincides with the chance of the snow showers mentioned above,
which could create some slick and slippery travel. Be careful on the roads if you need to be on them Friday night.

Wind chill

Wind chill values will quickly drop into the single digits on Friday evening, as the blast of cold air moves into the region. It will feel like subzero temperatures north and west of Boston overnight Friday and lingering into the early morning hours Saturday.

(Courtesy NBC10 Boston First Alert Weather)
(Courtesy NBC10 Boston First Alert Weather)

The holiday weekend stays chilly, with highs in the 20s and wind chill values in the teens on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Coastal concerns

The wind over the ocean will create 15- to 25-foot waves offshore, with near-shore waves of 7 to 12 feet and high tide already running at an elevated level, thanks to the upcoming new moon.

Cafe tables are half submerged as seawater floods Long Wharf in Boston during the storm on Dec. 23, 2022. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Cafe tables are half submerged as seawater floods Long Wharf in Boston during the storm on Dec. 23, 2022. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

What does that mean for those along the immediate coast? Widespread minor coastal flooding is likely. Pockets of moderate coastal flooding is not out of the question in vulnerable southeast and south-facing coasts. Most will see a late morning high tide.

When the high tide repeats before midnight Friday, the southwest wind will mitigate the coastal flood threat for many, though south-facing coasts may still see some minor flooding. Significant beach erosion is likely at south- and east-facing shorelines especially.

Seawater laps at cars parked behind the Chart House in Boston at high tide during a storm. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Seawater laps at cars parked behind the Chart House in Boston at high tide during a storm. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The MBTA has canceled all commuter ferry service Friday, and the Steamship Authority — which runs ferries to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket — say it's "extremely likely" service will be canceled for "most of Friday and part of Saturday."

Power

Eversource, one of the state's largest energy utilities, warns the entire state is at risk of power outages, especially along the coast.

As of about 10 a.m., more than 65,000 homes were without power, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. That number dropped to 30,000 by 4 p.m. Friday.

Craig Hallstrom, head of of Eversource's electrical operations in the region, said some customers could lose power for more than two days, but hopes to restore service by Christmas Eve. The company has canceled vacations for workers and has crews ready to deal with fallen trees and quickly repair power lines.

"We need to be there for our customers," he said, so if they lose power, "we can get their power on quickly."

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu urged people to report downed trees and power lines to 311 so city crews can clean them up.

"We are ready for this," Wu said at a news conference Thursday. She also thanked city employees for agreeing to work over the holiday weekend to make any needed repairs.

Flight cancellations

The storm is causing significant delays at Logan Airport ahead of a busy weekend of holiday travel.

According to the flight tracking website Flight Aware, more than 200 flights have been canceled at Logan in the last 24 hours. Many of those were Cape Air Flights. Every SkyWest and Allegiant Air flight scheduled for Friday was canceled.

Massport Aviation Director Ed Freni offered some advice.

"We suggest people contact their airline and see if there's any impact on their scheduled flight before they come," Freni said.

He also warned that no matter the conditions at Logan, bad weather in other cities will also cause delays and cancellations here in Boston.

If your flight is still scheduled, he suggests giving yourself extra time to get to the airport and using public transportation or the Logan Express service, if that's an option.


Walter Wuthmann, Simón Rios and Stevee Chapman of WBUR contributed to this report.

This article was originally published on December 22, 2022.

Danielle Noyes Meteorologist
Meteorologist Danielle Noyes is a regular contributor to WBUR.

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