Weather

Incoming Showers to Interrupt Brief Period of Sunshine

Morning black ice caused major problems for a few hours in the Boston suburbs – both on back roads and highways early Thursday morning – as moisture leftover on roads from Wednesday’s rain froze at around 3 a.m., when the skies cleared and temperatures dropped below freezing.

The much-anticipated return of sunshine not only melted this black ice quickly after sunrise, but also is helping to push Thursday high temperatures near 50 degrees.

To our west, across the nation’s midsection, the storm that brought flooding rain and high-terrain snow to Arizona on Wednesday is causing airport delays from Chicago to Detroit. It also brought a swath of rain and snow in New Mexico.

The counterclockwise flow of air around the storm center sweeps a southerly wind up the eastern half of the country, eventually including New England. As the southerly flow of milder air kicks in Thursday overnight, clouds will thicken.

The clash of air overhead between incoming warmth and preceding cool will make for a few showers in northern New England for a couple of far North Country icy spots by dawn Friday. Meanwhile, some sprinkles or light showers may occur farther south.

The mild wind from the southwest only increases on Friday across New England, gusting at times to 40 or 45 mph in a few spots. This will help bump temperatures into the middle 50s in southern New England, even with limited sun through plenty of clouds.

By the afternoon, an approaching cold front driven by strong atmospheric energy aloft will prompt some scattered windswept showers, shifting the wind to blow from the northwest. This will usher in a new shot of dry and cool air for Saturday, though the dry nature of the air will mean sunshine and the pick of the weekend.

The next storm in an active pattern cuts from the southeast U.S. to New England on Sunday, spreading moisture into the region with enough cold air in place in northern, central and western New England for the possibility of a wintry mix for part of Sunday. Southern New England is more likely to find predominantly rain and some gusty coastal wind.

Next week starts tranquil in our exclusive First Alert 10-Day Forecast, but another storm runs across the nation toward midweek. We continue with our First Alert for the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving for likely impact to travelers as rain and wind arrive here at home.

Timing is still uncertain, but we’re hopeful this system will move out in time for Thanksgiving.

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