Massachusetts

Snow Squalls, Blizzard-Like Conditions Make for Slick Commute

These squalls often lead to serious chain-reaction car crashes

What to Know

  • Snow squalls are pushing east through New England and could make for a slick commute from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
  • The bursts of snow may last 15 to 30 minutes, put down 1 to 2 inches of snow and create blizzard-like whiteout conditions.
  • Similar squalls led to a 26-vehicle crash involving trucks and cars on a busy eastern Pennsylvania highway earlier Wednesday.

Snow squalls pushed east through New England and made for a slick Wednesday evening commute. 

These squalls often lead to serious chain-reaction car crashes. The bursts of snow may last 15 to 30 minutes, put down 1 to 2 inches of snow and create blizzard-like whiteout conditions, in addition to 40 to 50 mph wind gusts.

These short bursts of intense snow and blizzard conditions will be long gone by 9 p.m. We then turn windy and bitterly cold.

Wind gusts could be as high as 40 or 50 mph in the snow bursts. Gusts between 50 and 60 mph are possible in southeastern Massachusetts through early Wednesday night. Scattered damage or power outages will be possible. The gusty wind continues into Thursday morning and afternoon, though not as strong.

Arctic air rushes in Wednesday night, with lows falling into the single digits and below zero in higher elevations. Wind chill values will be between -15 and -30 during the peak morning commute time on Thursday. Frostbite can set in 30 minutes or less on exposed skin, so dress appropriately.

Thursday afternoon stays cold with highs in the teens, wind chills around zero.

Friday morning will be cold again with single digits temperatures, warming to the 20s by afternoon under full sun. Temperatures in the 30s arrive this weekend, with Sunday approaching 40 degrees. Light snow will be possible across northern New England Saturday night.

Next week we will feel like spring with highs in the 40s, nearing 50 by Tuesday. Multiple disturbances pass by us, bringing mostly rain. We have at least an isolated chance for rain Monday through Thursday. Colder air tries to make a comeback by next Friday with highs in the 20s.

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