Weekend Outlook: February 20-23, 2026

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A pair of low pressure systems make for a complicate forecast across the region.

A messy storm is on the way for Friday into part of Saturday. Loop provided by WeatherBell.

Clouds will stream back into the region tonight ahead of a low pressure system moving out of the Great Lakes. Precipitation will develop late Friday morning or early Friday afternoon. Temperatures will be close to freezing, but warmer air will move in aloft, so we’ll see sleet and some freezing rain across much of the region at the onset. The exceptions will be near the South Coast, where it will be plain rain as temperatures will be milder, and across central New Hampshire, where precipitation falls mainly as snow. During the day, a secondary area of low pressure will develop south of New England, and as it moves by at night, it will drag colder air southward, changing the precipitation over to snow from north to south. The system pulls away during the day Saturday, with some occasional snow showers likely not winding down until the afternoon. How much snow/sleet are we expecting? Much of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts will see less than 1 inch. Areas roughly north of Route 44 up to the Mass Pike will see 1-2 inches. North of the Pike we’re looking at 2-4 inches, with a little more, possibly 3-6″ from the hills of Worcester County up into southern and central New Hampshire.

Once the mix changes over to snow, a few inches are likely in many areas. Image provided by weathermodels.com

High pressure briefly builds in for Saturday night and Sunday, then we turn our attention to a low pressure system that will be developing near the Mid-Atlantic coastline. There is still considerable uncertainty with this storm in not only the track, but how strong it will get. This will determine how strong the winds get around here, whether there will be any coastal flooding, and of course, how much, if any, snow we’ll get. Right now, it looks like the storm will pass just far enough offshore so that the only places with a chance for some heavier snow will be across Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. However, there are some models that do bring heavier snow farther inland, so we can’t discount that possibility just yet. Of course, this could also end up like last weekend’s storm that passes so far offshore that only Nantucket had any snow. Either scenario is plausible at this point, and if it looks like a significant storm is more likely, we’ll write a special blog post on Sunday.

Is there a storm in our future for Sunday night and Monday? The models don’t agree. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Thursday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy. Low 22-29.

Friday: Cloudy with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain developing around midday. High 33-40.

Friday night: Mix changing to light snow and show showers from north to south. Low 23-30.

Saturday: Cloudy with snow showers ending during the afternoon. High 31-38.

Saturday night: Some clearing after midnight. Low 14-21.

Sunday: Any morning sun disappears behind thickening clouds. High 30-37.

Sunday night: Cloudy and becoming windy with a chance of snow, mainly south of Boston. Low 21-28.

Monday: Mostly cloudy and windy with any snow ending. High 29-36.

Weekly Outlook: February 16-22, 2026

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The weather pattern is turning a bit more active once again, with several systems likely to impact the region this week.

Overall, temperatures will be near or a little above normal this week. Image provided by weathermodels.com

We start the week with a low pressure system passing south of the region this morning with some clouds for much of the region, and possibly a few flakes across the Cape and Islands. We’ll see some sunshine develop this afternoon, but then clouds quickly return tonight ahead of another weak disturbance moving in from the west. Once again, we’ll see plenty of clouds and possibly a few snow showers during the morning, but for the most part we’ll stay dry as the system moves through. Some sunshine returns in the afternoon, but again, this won’t last too long. Yet another system quickly heads our way on Wednesday, and this one will have a little bit more moisture to work with. We’ll still have plenty of dry air around thanks to a departing low pressure system, but there should be enough moisture to overcome that later Wednesday and Wednesday night. The question is, what will temperatures be? It may be cold enough for a little snow north of the Mass Pike, with some rain showers to the south. Where it stays all snow, a few inches are possible. Not a big storm, but possibly enough to impact your Wednesday afternoon commute.

Where does the rain/snow line setup on Wednesday. It has a big impact on potential accumulations. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

High pressure should keep the region dry on Thursday, but Friday through the weekend present multiple questions. There is the potential for 1 or 2 storms to impact the region during this time frame, but the models don’t agree at all as to whether it will be 1 or 2 storms, when they could move in, how strong they will be, and what impacts they may have on the region. So, the detailed forecast you see below is going to be very vague for Friday through Sunday, with the hope that we have more clarity when we get to our Weekend Outlook on Thursday.

Sunday could be stormy, or maybe it won’t. It’s too early to tell. Images provided by Pivotal Weather

Monday: Plenty of clouds with a few flakes near the Islands during the morning, some sunny breaks develop in the afternoon. High 32-39.

Monday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 20-27.

Tuesday: Morning clouds with a few snow showers possible, becoming partly sunny in the afternoon. High 34-41.

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, clouds move back in late at night. Low 25-32.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, chance for light snow from the Mass Pike northward to southern New Hampshire, rain or snow possible south of the Mass Pike. High 34-41.

Wednesday night: Snow or rain ending, some late-night clearing. Low 23-30.

Thursday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High 32-39.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy. Low 17-24.

Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy with some snow or rain possible. High 33-40.

Saturday: More clouds than sunshine, chance for snow showers. High 32-39.

Sunday: Partly to mostly cloudy, chance of snow or rain. High 32-39.

Weekend Outlook: February 13-16, 2026

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This weekend will be something of a rarity for this winter – no big snowstorms and no bitterly cold temperatures.

Temperatures will be fairly close to normal for mid-February this weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

High pressure will build in, keeping us dry and seasonably cool into Friday night. A weak system will move across the region early on Saturday, but it won’t have much moisture to work with. It could produce a few flurries, but for the most part, we’ll stay dry. High pressure returns later Saturday into Sunday, then we’re going to be watching a storm system moving out of the Mid-Atlantic states. This storm was the subject of plenty of hype earlier this week, but that hype seems to have gone away. Perhaps because most of the models keep the storm well south of New England now, with little to no impact other than some clouds later Sunday into Monday? Sure, there are still 1 or 2 outlier models that bring a little snow to parts of Southern New England, but they are just that – outliers. Unless something radically changes in the next day or two, our forecast will show it staying dry.

Despite earlier hype, low pressure should stay well south of New England on Monday. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Thursday night: A few clouds around. Low 10-17.

Friday: Mostly sunny. High 30-37.

Friday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy, chance for a few late-night flurries. Low 14-21.

Saturday: Morning clouds, maybe a flurry, then becoming partly to mostly sunny in the afternoon. High 33-40.

Saturday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 15-22.

Sunday: Mostly sunny in the morning, then increasing afternoon clouds. High 31-38.

Sunday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 15-22.

Monday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High 34-41.

Weekly Outlook: February 9-15, 2026

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Football season is now officially over, but Spring Training for baseball begins tomorrow. While you start dreaming of summer as the news starts showing interviews with Red Sox players, you’ll be doing it while watching a little more snow fall outside.

Some light snow could impact the Tuesday evening commute. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

High pressure is in control to start the week with sunshine and chilly temperatures again today, but not as cold as the weekend was. Clouds move in tonight ahead of a fast-moving system heading this way from the Great Lakes. A period of light snow and snow showers is likely with this system Tuesday afternoon and evening. While we’re not expecting much snow (1-3 inches for most of us, especially north of the Mass Pike), the timing will likely create problems for the afternoon commute. As the system pulls away on Wednesday, we could see another “inverted trough” setup behind it. While we’re not expecting this one to produce 6-12″ of snow right along the coast like we had on Saturday, it could produce some additional snow showers in eastern areas Wednesday afternoon. After that, it looks like high pressure will build in with dry and seasonably chilly conditions from Thursday through Sunday, but it’s not quite that simple. A low pressure system that will impact parts of the Southeast will move offshore and likely pass south of the region, but that is far from a certainty. Some models have shown the potential for that system to end up much farther north, with some impacts around here during the weekend. Not all of the models have shown this potential, and even the ones that do, haven’t done so on every run, nor have they shown the same impacts each time. So, for now at least, we’re going to keep the forecast dry, with temperatures close to where they should be in mid-February, but we’re mindful of the chance that it could be quite a bit different.

A storm will likely impact parts of the Eastern US toward the end of the weekend, but whether it impacts this region remains to be determined. Images provided by Pivotal Weather

Monday: Plenty of sunshine, breezy. High 22-29.

Monday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 5-12.

Tuesday: Some morning sun, then becoming mostly cloudy with light snow or snow showers developing in the afternoon. High 28-35.

Tuesday night: Snow showers ending, total accumulation of 1-3 inches, mainly north of the Mass Pike, some late-night clearing. Low 19-26.

Wednesday: More clouds than sunshine, some snow showers possible in eastern areas. High 31-38.

Wednesday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, any snow showers ending in the evening. Low 17-24.

Thursday: Partly sunny. High 29-36.

Thursday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 11-18.

Friday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 28-35.

Saturday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 31-38.

Sunday: Morning sun, then increasing clouds. High 33-40.

Weekend Outlook: February 6-9, 2026

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Stop us if you’ve heard this before – some snow and bitterly cold weather is on the way.

Wind chills of -10 to -20 are expected Sunday morning and Monday morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

We’ve actually got a fairly nice day on our hands today by early February standards, but that is about to change. We’ll see some clouds start to move into the region tonight, at high levels of the atmosphere from the west, and lower levels off the ocean. Friday will be a cloudy day, and still relatively chilly, but an arctic cold front will be heading our way. With the wind off the water, a few flurries or snow showers are possible along eastern coastal areas, but they should not be a big deal. The arctic front, however, will be a big deal. It will likely produce some snow showers or squalls Friday night, but most places will see an inch or less of accumulation. However, this is just the start of what will happen. A low pressure area along the front will begin to intensify well south and southeast of the region as it heads toward Nova Scotia. As it does this, northeast to northerly winds will begin to increase, ushering some very cold air into the region. But that’s not all it will do. Along the coast, it will help to enhance some ocean effect snowfall. While inland locations could see another inch or so of accumulation, right along the coast, from Cape Ann down to the South Shore and parts of Cape Cod, some places could see upwards of 3-6 inches of snow on Saturday, possibly even a little more. So, if you’re heading to places like Gloucester, Hingham, or Plymouth for any reason on Saturday, keep this in mind. Once that system pulls away and the snow ends, a bitterly cold night is expected for Saturday night, and Sunday won’t exactly be that warm either. When you factor in the wind, it’ll be a good day to sit inside and watch the Super Bowl in the evening. Sunday night looks cold as well, but the winds should be subsiding, and Monday will feature sunshine, but with temperatures remaining well below normal.

Places near the coast could have their own private snowstorm on Saturday. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Thursday night: Clear during the evening, then clouds increase overnight. Low 4-11, milder right along the coast and across Cape Cod.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, a few flurries possible near eastern coastal areas. High 23-30.

Friday night: Cloudy with some snow showers likely, possibly a snow squall. Low 13-20, milder across Cape Cod.

Saturday: Plenty of clouds, becoming windy in the afternoon with some occasional light snow or snow showers, especially along the coast from Cape Ann to Cape Cod. High 22-29.

Saturday night: Windy with snow showers ending in the evening, skies start to clear out after midnight. Low -3 to +4, milder across Cape Cod.

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds, breezy, and cold. High 12-19.

Sunday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low -3 to +4, milder across Cape Cod.

Monday: Mostly sunny. High 18-25.

Weekly Outlook: February 2-8, 2026

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Another cold week is expected, but we’ve got two harbingers of Spring for you today.

Image provided by Someecards

Today is Groundhog Day, when the world looks to a small town in Pennsylvania where a rodent is forcibly removed from his home, and asked whether he saw his shadow (Spoiler: He will). As a result, Spring won’t begin for 6 more weeks, which by coincidence is about when the Vernal Equinox occurs, marking the start of astronomical Spring. The other sign that Spring is near comes a little closer to our area – it’s Truck Day! The Red Sox will fill up a 53-foot truck with 20,400 baseballs, 1,100 bats, 200 pairs of batting gloves and helmets, 320 batting practice tops, 160 white game jerseys, 300 pairs of pants, 400 t-shirts, 400 pairs of socks, 20 cases of bubble gum, and 60 cases of sunflower seeds. It will Fenway, make a pit stop in Worcester, then head to Fort Myers, where pitchers and catchers are due to report in 9 days. Hopefully the truck will pick up a power-hitting infield along the way.

Truck Day is a sure sign that Spring will be here soon. Image provided by ESPN.

As for the weather, high pressure will keep us cold and dry into Thursday. A weak system will pass by to the south Tuesday night and early Wednesday, but aside from a few clouds, it shouldn’t impact our area at all. A cold front will move through with little fanfare on Thursday, bringing arctic air back into the region. After that, we’re watching an Alberta Clipper that will bring in a little snow Friday into early Saturday. At this point, it doesn’t look like a big deal, but the system may slow down and strengthen as it moves into the Gulf of Maine. The main impact will be gusty north winds resulting in bitterly cold wind chills again next weekend. However, if the storm slows down a little faster than we currently are thinking, that could result in a little more snow. We’ll be keeping an eye on this as the week goes on.

Bitterly cold wind chills may return this weekend. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Oh, and if you’re curious about the weather in Santa Clara, California for Sunday evening – clear skies, light winds, and temperatures in the mid-60s.

Monday: Becoming mostly sunny. High 25-32.

Monday night: Mostly clear. Low 1-8, milder across Cape Cod.

Tuesday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds. High 27-34.

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy. Low 8-15, milder across Cape Cod.

Wednesday: A mix of sun and clouds. High 26-33.

Wednesday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 5-12, milder across Cape Cod.

Thursday: Partly sunny. High 23-30.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy. Low 2-9, milder across Cape Cod.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with some light snow possible. High 25-32.

Saturday: Intervals of clouds and sun, chance for light snow early, windy, colder. High 16-23.

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds, chance for a few flurries, windy. High 12-19.

Weekend Outlook: January 30 – February 2, 2026

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We’re going to separate fantasy from reality in regards to a potential weekend storm, but first we’ve got some very cold weather to deal with.

Cold Weather Advisories are in effect for most of the region. Image provided by the National Weather Service office in Norton, MA.

If it hasn’t been cold enough for you this week, then we have good news for you – it’s going to get even cold for the next couple of days. A reinforcing shot of arctic air moves in tonight on gusty north to northwest winds. Temperatures will likely drop below zero across much of the region overnight, but when you factor in the wind, it will feel like 15 to 25 below zero by morning. While the winds will only slowly slacken on Friday, and we’ll have plenty of sunshine, it will remain quite cold, with highs likely staying in the teens. Another very cold night is expected Friday night, and with diminishing winds, some radiational cooling is expected, so we’ll once again drop below zero in much of the region. Saturday will also be chilly, but not as cold as Friday, with highs likely getting into the 20s. We’ll also have more sunshine, but high clouds will start to stream in during the afternoon and evening ahead of a low pressure system developing off the Southeast coast.

Bitterly cold wind chills are expected Friday morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Despite the hype all week, we are not expecting another major snowstorm for much of the region at this point. Oh, it could still happen, but the odds continue to decrease for most (but not all) of the region. As the low heads northward on Sunday, it will rapidly strengthen – you’ve probably heard the term “bombogenesis” used. This term has been around for a long time, and the definition is a storm whose lowest pressure falls by 24mb or more over a 24 hour period. If you look at your home barometer, it’s probably reading around 29.9″ of mercury right now, which is about 1013mb. The low pressure system that will spawn our ocean storm is currently over northern Texas with a minimum pressure of 1015mb. By the time it reaches the Carolina coast, it should be down to around 1008mb. When it passes well south and east of New England Sunday night, it should be down to about 965-970mb. When a storm strengthens like that, the gradient between it and high pressure to the north will result in very strong winds, especially near the coast. This will be the case around here for Sunday and into Monday. We’re also near the astronomical high tides, so for northeast and north-facing coastal locations, some coastal flooding is possible with the high tides Sunday morning and again Monday morning.

Wind gusts in excess of 40 mph are possible on Sunday, especially along the coast. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

OK, it’s going to be cold, it’s going to be windy, there could be flooding issues along the coast, but what about snow? Well, the models aren’t in complete agreement yet, but they’re getting there, in terms of the potential for snow. For now, the system looks to be far enough offshore to prevent much of the region from a significant snowstorm. In fact, there’s a very good chance that areas north and west of Interstate 95 could see little to no snow at all. South and east of I-95, some snow is possible, becoming more likely the farther south and east you go. If anyone were to get significant snow from this, it would be Cape Cod (especially the Outer Cape), and Nantucket. Now, could the models start showing a trend closer to the coast, thus bringing more snow in farther north and west? Of course they could – the storm is still 3 days away, but at this point, it’s not looking likely. Obviously, we’ll keep a close eye on it. As the storm pulls away on Monday we’ll clear out, but winds may remain gusty.

The best chance for some snow Sunday afternoon looks to be across Cape Cod. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Thursday night: Evening clouds, maybe a lingering snow shower across the Outer Cape, then becoming clear and very cold. Low -4 to +3, a little milder on Cape Cod.

Friday: Sunshine and a few clouds, breezy, and cold. High 11-18.

Friday night: Mostly clear, winds diminish in the evening. Low 0 to -7, a little milder on Cape Cod.

Saturday: Sunshine dimmed by increasing afternoon high clouds. High 17-24.

Saturday night: Becoming mostly cloudy, winds start to increase late at night. Low 1-8, a little milder along the coast.

Sunday: Cloudy and windy with a chance of snow, mainly across southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. High 21-28, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Sunday night: Any snow ending in the evening, some gradual clearing after midnight, winds slowly diminish. Low 12-19.

Monday: Becoming partly to mostly sunny, breezy in the morning. High 27-34.

Weekly Outlook: January 26 – February 1, 2026

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Once the snow finally winds down today, chilly weather will move back in for much of the week.

Temperatures will be well below normal this week. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Low pressure will slowly pull away from the region today, with occasional light snow or snow showers for a good chunk of the day, especially north of the Mass Pike, where additional accumulations of 2-4 inches are possible (less is expected to the south). We’ll see some clearing tonight, but clouds will fill back in on Tuesday as an upper-level disturbance crosses the region, keeping temperatures on the chilly side. Another disturbance moves in on Wednesday, which may produce a few snow showers late in the day and at night. High pressure then builds in with dry and cold conditions for the latter half of the week and into the weekend. We are keeping an eye on an ocean storm late in the weekend. It’s too early to tell whether it will stay offshore with no impact or pass close enough to bring us more snow on Sunday.

Another week of model roulette awaits us. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Cloudy with occasional light snow and snow showers, ending by evening, breezy along the coast. Additional accumulation 2-4″ north of the Mass Pike, less than 2″ south of the Pike. High 19-26 north and west of Boston, 27-34 in the morning south of Boston with temperatures falling through the day.

Monday night: Any lingering snow showers end in the evening, becoming clear after midnight, breezy. Low 4-11.

Tuesday: Sunny in the morning, becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon. High 17-24.

Tuesday night: Becoming clear. Low -1 to +6, warmer across Cape Cod.

Wednesday: Morning sun, then clouds return. High 16-23.

Wednesday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, slight chance for a snow shower. Low -1 to +6, warmer across Cape Cod.

Thursday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High 16-23.

Thursday night: Becoming clear. Low -3 to +4.

Friday: A mix of sun and clouds. High 13-20.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. High 19-26.

Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sun, chance for snow. High 24-31.

Arctic Air and Snow Heading for New England

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The biggest snowstorm this area has seen in a few years is on the way, with arctic air preceding it.

Winter Storm Warnings are in effect from New Mexico to New England. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

An arctic cold front will cross the region later today, producing a few snow showers or squalls, but gusty northwest winds behind the system will usher in the coldest air so far this winter for the weekend. Temperatures will plunge into the single numbers tonight with some subzero readings possible. When you factor in the wind, it will feel like it is 10 to 20 below zero if you are outside Saturday morning. Despite some sunshine, temperatures will struggle to reach the teens on Saturday, but the wind will subside. We’ll see high clouds start to stream in during the afternoon as a developing low pressure system heads our way.

Bundle up if you need to head outside for any reason Saturday morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

That system will move into the Deep South, and a secondary area of low pressure will develop near the Carolinas or Virginia Tidewater region. as it starts to strengthen it will move northeastward, passing south and east of New England Sunday night and Monday. There is still a little question as to how far north the low gets, which has some implications on the forecast, as it could result in some sleet near the South Coast, but for the bulk of the region, we’re looking at snow, thanks to the cold air already in place.

The storm will bring wintry weather to a very large area this weekend. Loop provided by weathermodels.com

Because it will be so cold for much of the region, it will be a fluffier snow, which can pile up more quickly. The colder the air is, the less moisture it can hold. In general, 1 inch of liquid will result in 10 inches of snow when the temperature is near freezing. When temperatures are in the teens, as they will be across the interior for this storm, that ratio can change to as much as 15-20 inches of snow for 1 inch of liquid.

The colder the air, the fluffier the snow. Image provided by weather.com

Closer to the coast, especially south of Boston, temperatures will not be nearly as cold, thanks to something meteorologists refer to as a “coastal front”. Ocean temperatures remain near or a little over 40, so as winds blow over that water and reach the coast, we will see temperatures moderate into the 20s, or even lower 30s, but that air usually doesn’t penetrate too far inland. So, you end up with a sharp boundary, or front, where temperatures go from the teens to the west and 20s to the east over a span of just a few miles. Exactly where that front sets up makes a big difference, not only because it’s the difference between fluffy snow and wet snow, but also because that front provides a little bit of lift, which usually results in some of the heaviest snow totals just to the west of that coastal front. As the system starts to pull away on Monday, that coastal front will quickly move southeastward, allowing the very cold air to quickly return to southeastern Massachusetts.

The coastal front is easy to find on temperature maps for Sunday evening. Image provided by WeatherBell.

For the timing, it looks like the snow will move in near or just after midday on Sunday from southwest to northeast, reaching southern New Hampshire by mid-afternoon. The steadiest and heaviest snow is likely from about 6pm to 2am. If there is going to be any sleet near the South Coast, it will likely be between about 10pm and 3am. As the storm starts to pull away on Monday, we’ll still see occasional light snow for much of the day, with some additional accumulations possible. Everything should finally wind down and end Monday evening.

Many models show the potential for some sleet near the South Coast around midnight Sunday night. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Now, the part you’re all waiting for – how much snow can we expect? There’s still a few details to be worked out that will impact the final numbers (where does the coastal front set up? will there be sleet near the South Coast?), but for the most part, we feel confident enough to put the pen to the paper so to speak. For most of the region, we’re looking at a general 12-18 inches. There will be some spots that get a little more, and there could be a little less near the South Coast, especially if there’s some sleet involved.

The NWS Blend of Models is mostly closely aligned with our thinking. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

In case you’re curious, the last time some cities around here received a foot or more in a single storm:

Boston: January 29, 2022 – 23.6″
Blue Hill: January 29-30, 2022 – 27.6″
Lowell: January 6-7, 2024 – 15.8″
Worcester: January 6-7, 2024 – 15.5″
Providence: January 28-29, 2022 – 19.3″
Hartford: February 1-2, 2021 – 12.1″
Manchester: December 1-3, 2019 – 20.8″

Once this storm pulls away, cold air will remain in place for much of the upcoming week, so don’t expect any melting any time soon.

Weekend Outlook: January 23-26, 2026

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You may have heard that there’s a little storm on the way. Well, before that happens, it’s also going to get ridiculously cold. We’ll get to all of that in this blog, but we’ll tell you right now, you won’t find a forecast for snow amounts. It’s too early for that, and there’s too much uncertainty still. We’ll tell you how we think the storm will evolve and its likely impacts around here, how cold it will get Before the Storm (and how that will impact things), and lots of musical references, but we’re not going to give you a snowfall forecast. We may do that in another blog post tomorrow, but for now, we’ll leave the hype to all of the TV meteorologists and Facebook Forecasters of the world.

A variety of watches, warnings and advisories are in effect across the eastern US. Image provided by the National Weather Service Eastern Region

After a somewhat mild day today, a cold front will move through this evening, possibly accompanied by a few snow showers, but the more noticeable effect will be cooler air moving in tonight. On Friday, an arctic cold front will cross the region, possibly with some additional snow showers or squalls, and that is what will start the Change in the Weather. Bitterly cold air will flood into the region behind that front. Temperatures will plunge into the single numbers and below zero across the region, with wind chills well below zero thanks to gusty northwest winds, making you dream about those Hot Summer Nights. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for much of the region. On Saturday, sunshine will start to fade as high Clouds Race Across the Sky, but it will remain Stone Cold, with high temperatures only getting into the teens at best, with wind chills still near or below zero before winds die down in the afternoon. Clouds will continue to stream in Saturday night, but it will remain chilly. This brings us to Sunday.

Wind chills of -10 to -20 are expected Saturday morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Low pressure moving into the Southwest will run into the arctic airmass covering much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation over the next few days. Moderate to heavy snow is expected from the Southern Plains across to the Tennessee Valley and parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. To the south of these areas, a significant sleet and freezing rain storm is likely from parts of Texas into the Deep South. Places like Dallas, Little Rock and perhaps Nashville and Atlanta could be Trapped Under Ice by the end of the weekend. By Sunday, that system will move off the Carolina coast and head northeastward, developing as it passes south and east of Cape Cod early Monday. Sunday will start off cloudy and cold, with snow likely moving in by mid-to-late afternoon from southwest to northeast. With some very cold air in place, it will be more of a fluffy snow, easier to clean up, but it also piles up a lot more quickly. Snow will continue through the night, possibly heavy at times, slowly winding down during the day on Monday. The questions now are:

  1. How much does the very dry air in place slow down the start of the snow on Sunday?
  2. How heavy does the snow fall at times Sunday night into Monday?
  3. When will the snow actually end?
  4. How close will the system actually track to the coast?
  5. Will temperatures get up close to freezing across parts of southeastern Massachusetts behind a coastal front?
  6. Could there be some sleet and/or rain near the South Coast and Cape Cod?

With this many questions that we don’t have answers to at this point, it would be irresponsible to try and forecast snowfall totals, so we won’t do that. We will say that it is likely that much of the region gets 6 inches or more, but beyond that, we won’t commit to anything else.

After some snow showers/squalls tonight and Friday, you see the snow spreading in on Sunday. Loop provided by Weathermodels.com

Thursday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, chance for a few snow showers, skies start to clear out late at night. Low 16-23.

Friday: A mix of sun and clouds, chance for some snow showers or squalls, breezy. High 27-34.

Friday night: Becoming clear, breezy, and bitterly cold. Low -3 to +4, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Saturday: Sunny and breezy in the morning, high clouds stream in during the afternoon. High 10-17.

Saturday night: Becoming mostly cloudy. Low -1 to +6.

Sunday: Cloudy with snow developing by mid-to-late afternoon. High 13-20 north and west of I-95, 21-28 south and east.

Sunday night: Snow likely, possibly mixed with a little sleet or rain near the South Coast and Cape Cod, becoming breezy. Low 8-15 north and west of I-95, 16-23 south and east.

Monday: Snow gradually ending, breezy. High 16-23 north and west of I-95, 24-31 south and east.