How has the forecast for this storm evolved? I've heard from many asking why this forecast changed so much...it didn't change much! At least not here. Though I'm the first to admit it doesn't always work so nicely. Anyway, for those wondering the same, you can click here to read our thoughts from several days out on Tuesday, and click here to see the initial accumulation map issued Thursday night. Read on for the Friday evening update...
The Friday evening updated accumulation map looks a lot like the Thursday evening map, with more specific amounts, and more attention to detail near the immediate coast and for localized higher amounts through the interior. The accumulation maps speak for themselves, but here are the highlights of the Saturday afternoon and night storm:
- Plowable snow for nearly all of New England
- Snow develops from late morning (west) to mid-afternoon (east) across Southern and Western New England, then fills in farther northeast during the evening
- Snow continues Saturday night, but ends by sunrise Sunday
- Wind begins light and variable, but increases from the northeast just enough for snow to become very wet and sloppy near the South Shore of MA coast, outer tip of Cape Ann and Cape Cod, changing to rain for some, especially on Cape. This mix and change will obviously limit amounts in these locations, reflected on the zoomed map below.
- That said...this will be a marginal event for coastal locales, including Cape Cod. While it appears as though the warm ocean water will dominate, it's worth noting that there is some guidance keeping the precipitation heavy enough that it ends up being all snow on the Cape, with over half a foot all the way out to Chatham! While I don't anticipate that to happen, I should at least note that it is an outside, small possibility.
- A short distance inland, where milder ocean air and cold interior air collide, snow amounts will be maximized. This will be roughly over Northern RI and interior Southeast MA.
- Because most of the storm brings a light wind, wave action will be minimal and coastal flooding or beach erosion are not concerns in this storm. The one spot that will find gustier winds is Cape Cod, when the wind will snap north overnight Saturday night as the storm starts to pull away, and will blow 30-40 mph with higher gusts, possibly accompanied by a brief burst of snow as cold air moves in.
As always, click all maps to enlarge.
Precipitation Map at 2 PM Saturday:
Precipitation Map at 7 PM Saturday:
New England overview Snowfall Forecast Map (see below for zoomed maps):
Southern New England Snowfall Forecast (see below for Eastern MA zoomed map):
Eastern MA Snowfall Forecast:
