Massachusetts

Winter Storm Approaching New England, Snow Begins This Evening

Snow will break out from west to east after dark, first in Vermont and Western Massachusetts

What to Know

  • The storm begins Saturday night, with snow spreading in from west to east after dark.
  • Snow rates will be 1-2 inches per hour for a time just after midnight.
  • By dawn, there will be a change from snow to a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain along the South Coast, Cape and Islands, & South Shore.

With the weekend winter storm now just hours away, there have been a few subtle shifts to the forecast. Southern New England will likely see a bit less snow, and more freezing rain and sleet.

Clouds will steadily increase today, with highs in the 20s for most.

Snow will then break out from west to east after dark, first in Vermont and Western Massachusetts. The snow will get to Greater Boston closer to dinner time.

Once the snow starts it will steadily become heavier, falling at the rate of 1-2” per hour for a time just after midnight. This will be the worst of the storm near the city in terms of snow.

TIMELINE: Hour-by-Hour Look at This Weekend's Big Storm

By dawn warmer air will already be working up from the south, changing snow to a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain along the South Coast, Cape and Islands, and South Shore.

That transition to a mix, then rain, will push past the city by mid-morning. By late morning and lunch time sleet will be falling for most of Central Massachusetts, into Southern New Hampshire, and even parts of the Maine Coast.

Heavy rain will continue during that time south of Boston.

All the while winds will be gusty out of the east and southeast. At the coast expect gusts 40-50 MPH, with interior gusts 20-40 MPH. That, combined with an astronomically high tide thanks to the full moon, will result in minor to moderate coastal flooding during the late morning cycle for east facing coastlines.

During the afternoon watch out for a quick shift to a northwest wind, and a drop in temperatures. Precipitation may briefly go back over to sleet or snow before winding down. Everything will ice over with the temperature drop, too, so shovel early!

If we are lucky a few breaks in the clouds will develop in time for the total lunar eclipse Sunday night.

Monday will be brutally cold, with temperatures in the single digits above and below zero for much of the day. Winds will be strong, too, and a few snow showers will fall over the mountains.

Another storm, likely bringing a mix of rain and snow, arrives for the middle of next week.

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