What to Know
- Expect snow to begin between 5 and 8 a.m. Thursday, west to east, and continue through Thursday night.
- Areas south of Boston are in the cross-hairs for the highest snowfall amounts of over a foot.
- Heavy snow at times will combine with wind gusts to 45 mph on Cape Cod for possible blizzard conditions.
Well it's here. A wall of heavy snow is marching down the Pike and hitting with full force. Conditions will deteriorate quickly as the storm continues to intensify south of Long Island.
Meantime, across Southeast Mass, the temperatures are warm enough for mostly rain as the east winds bring in a brief window of warmth.
As the storm deepens, the rain will get snuffed out by a turn in the wind and a surge of cold air from the north. Our timeline keeps us in the heavy snow bands through the mid-afternoon. At times, the snowfall rates may exceed 2"-3" per hour across Southeast Mass (after a change to snow by noon). Elsewhere we expect snowfall rates of 1-2" per hour. At these intensities, it's wise to stay off the roads. Plows will not be able to keep up with the pace of the snow, and some roads may become impassable. Even during the typical evening commute times of 4-7 pm, snow may be winding down, but there will still be considerable snow on the roads.
All the while, the cold will drain down. Temperatures fall throughout the day, bottoming out in the teens late. Wind chills will crumble to the single digits above and below zero. Drifting snow will become an issue as the winds howl to feed our mighty storm offshore.
Coastal flood threat remains minimal, but there may be some splashover at high tide in the mid to late morning. Flooding of some shore roads is possible. Winds will turn to the northwest as the storm moves away in the evening, pushing the water away from the coast.
Local
Surprisingly, snowfall amounts for this kind of storm are rather simple. You calculate how long you'll be in the intense snow, and go from there. 10-15 is our take, with some isolated 16-18 inch amounts on the North Shore and along the northern end of 128.
We'll be along with updates, new information and conditions throughout the day. Stay with NBC Boston and NECN.
