Clouds and dull, gray skies. Not everyone saw them today. Those that did get some sun were all but guaranteed a high of 60 (with a few spots surpassing that), but in Eastern Mass. we had no such luck on this day before St. Patrick's Day. Cool winds off the water maintained the cloud deck, keeping us from even reaching 50.
Life along Coastal New England.
Tomorrow the tide will turn. Winds will turn more from the southwest and sun will be out often and early. A vigorous system moving through tonight will spread rain into the area, but neatly depart before dawn tomorrow. The leftover air is pretty unstable, however, and thanks to that sun, we'll boil up a few storms in the afternoon (to go along with your boiled St. Patrick's Day dinner). With the freezing level just under 5,000 feet, we have the potential for hail in some of those storms. If it gets cranking, some of it could coat the ground in white.
Hot on the heels of the mild Thursday weather, a sharp cold front is slicing through from the late morning to early afternoon Friday. It's heralding an entirely new pattern - one that could bring us back to winter (albeit briefly).
And that's the other aspect of life along Coastal New England: bearing the brunt of nor'easters. While we're not forecasting a direct hit just yet, the potential is there. Spring is a notoriously difficult time to track these storms, and this one is no exception. The model "spread" (possible solutions) is tremendous. One has it over Central New England. The other puts it hundreds of miles offshore! With that kind of variability, we won't be putting up snowfall accumulations just yet.
Standby for updates.
Pete
