A wet Thanksgiving day appears likely, but much of the rest of the weekend looks dry at this point.
We’ve got plenty of clouds around today, well ahead of a low pressure system moving towards the Great Lakes. As that system continues eastward, we’ll see showers moving in tonight. While temperatures will be fairly mild for most of us, some chilly air is hanging around this afternoon from Southern New Hampshire into north-central Massachusetts and the Merrimack valley. While temperatures are mainly above freezing, a few spots could drop back close to freezing this evening, which may result in a few slippery spots as the rain moves in tonight. Temperatures should gradually rise towards morning even in these areas.
The milder air may never actually make it into Southern New Hampshire on Thanksgiving Day. Loop provided by WeatherBell.
Thanksgiving starts out with some rain, but there may be a bit of a lull around early afternoon as the initial batch of rain moves out. A cold front will be approaching from the west, and a secondary area of low pressure will ride up along it, bringing more rain in by late afternoon and evening. There may even be a rumble of thunder with the rain, mainly across southeastern Massachusetts. Temperatures may remain on the cool side from southern New Hampshire into parts of interior Massachusetts, but across eastern Massachusetts, much milder air is expected, with some places, especially near the South Coast, possibly getting close to 60. Everything finally moves offshore during the evening, but skies remain cloudy overnight, with some patchy fog possible as there will be plenty of low-level moisture in place across the area.
The NAM model shows the progression of the storm tonight and Thursday. Loop provided by Tropical Tidbits
Friday likely features plenty of clouds but only a slight chance for a shower or two as an upper-level disturbance moves through, but temperatures should be mild in most places, with highs generally reaching the 50s. We finally start to clear out Friday night, with high pressure building in for the weekend with sunshine and cooler temperatures.
Monday will feature more changes. Another storm system will head towards the Great Lakes, sending some more clouds into the region. Right now, it looks like this could be a significant rain-maker for Monday night into Tuesday (and possibly Wednesday). This will help put a big dent into our long term rainfall deficit. This may also turn out to be a significant storm system for portions of the Midwest and East Coast. If this is still looking that way by Friday or Saturday, we’ll likely write up a special blog post about it.
Between Thursday’s storm and the one early next week, much of the region could receive some significant rainfall. Image provided by Weathermodels.com
Wednesday night: Cloudy with showers developing after midnight. Low 33-40 in southern New Hampshire and north-central Massachusetts, 41-48 elsewhere.
Thanksgiving Day: Periods of rain and showers, maybe even a rumble of thunder. High 45-52 in southern New Hampshire and north-central Massachusetts, 53-60 elsewhere.
Thursday night: Showers end in the evening, otherwise partly to mostly cloudy with some patchy fog likely. Low 36-43 in southern New Hampshire and the Merrimack Valley, 44-51 elsewhere.
Friday: Intervals of clouds and sun, just a slight chance for a late-day shower. High 52-59.
Friday night: Becoming partly cloudy to clear. Low 36-43.
Saturday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 46-53.
Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 28-35.
Sunday: Sunshine. Lots of sunshine. High 44-51.
Sunday night: Clear during the evening, clouds start to move in overnight. Low 29-36.
We’re going to put a few dents in that drought this week, as we’ll have a few storms systems to contend with, but it looks like they’ll be mostly rain, with one of them on Thanksgiving Day. Notice that we said “mostly rain”, as we could have some issues Wednesday night, especially in southern New Hampshire.
We’ll get some relief for the drought this week thanks to at least 2 storm systems. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.
We start the week off on a wet note as low pressure passes north and west of the region, providing us with a rainy start to the day. Temperatures will be on the mild side this morning, but don’t get used to it. A cold front will cross the region by early afternoon, bringing an end to the rain, but behind it, gusty winds will usher much cooler air back in as skies clear out, leading to a chilly night tonight.
The NAM model shows the warm air ahead of the cold front quickly replaced by much cooler air behind the front this afternoon and evening. Loop provided by WeatherBell.
High pressure builds in for Tuesday with dry and cool conditions. It will still be breezy early on as today’s low pressure system continues to pull away, but winds should die down during the afternoon as the high continues to build in. With clear skies and light winds Tuesday night, we’ll have another chilly night, but some high clouds may start to move in late at night, which would prevent temperatures from tumbling too much. Those high clouds will be in advance of a warm front that will approach the region on Wednesday, possibly accompanied by a few showers. This could set up a tricky situation during the late afternoon and evening across southern New Hampshire and possibly the Merrimack Valley. The warm front may have trouble moving northward during the day, and with chilly air in place and a little bit of precipitation possible, it could fall in the form of a little freezing drizzle, especially in southern New Hampshire, which could result in some slippery conditions Wednesday evening. This is a scenario that happens quite often during the fall and winter, and the models usually handle it poorly, or miss it completely, as they usually overestimate how quickly the warmer air will move in and how far north it can get. We’ve seen the models blow this type of forecast countless times, and the setup is there for it to happen again.
At least one model shows the potential for some icy conditions in southern New Hampshire Wednesday night. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.
That next system brings in more rain for Thanksgiving Day. Right now, it looks like most of the rain will be in the morning, but there are still some timing differences among the models, so showers may linger into the afternoon, and possibly even the evening. High pressure builds in behind that system with drier and cooler weather again on Friday, though a few showers are possible as an upper-level disturbance moves across the region.
Next weekend also has some questions, as the models all have differing solutions. Some models want to bring a weak system through late Saturday with some showers, then have high pressure build back in on Sunday, with another system potentially bringing in some rain next Monday. Others keep high pressure in control for much of the weekend, but have the next system move in at some point late Sunday or Sunday night. They also differ on the track of that system, which has significant implications for temperatures on Sunday. So, our forecast for next weekend is very-low confidence at this point, and may end up significantly different when we issue our weekend outlook (which will be on Wednesday this week instead of the normal Thursday).
The potential exists for a decent amount of rain around here between now and next Monday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com
Monday: Breezy with showers and some steadier rain this morning, possibly a rumble of thunder as well, ending by early afternoon, then skies start to clear out by evening. High 54-61 in the morning, but temperatures may drop pretty quickly during the afternoon.
Monday night: Clear to partly cloudy and breezy. Low 27-34.
Tuesday: Sunshine and a few clouds, breezy in the morning. High 37-44.
Tuesday night: Clear during the evening, high clouds start to move in after midnight. Low 19-26.
Wednesday: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy, chance for a shower or two, possibly some freezing drizzle across southern New Hampshire during the evening or at night. High 36-43 north of the Mass Pike, 44-51 south of the Pike.
Thanksgiving: Cloudy with periods of rain and showers, ending during the afternoon. High 42-49 in southern New Hampshire and the Merrimack Valley, 50-57 elsewhere.
Friday: Partly sunny, slight chance for a shower. High 49-56.
Saturday: A mix of sun and clouds. High 49-56.
Sunday: A sunny start, clouds move in during the afternoon. High 45-52.
A warming trend is on the way for the weekend, but possibly some rain as well.
After a rather chilly start to the day, temperatures have moderated as high pressure moves offshore. Temperatures will continue to warm up into Friday and Saturday, though as the high moves off to our north and east, winds will shift into the northeast, allowing cooler air to slide back in later on Saturday and into Sunday.
Temperatures bottomed out in the middle teens to middlle 20s across most of the region this morning. Image provided by NOAA.
By later on Sunday, a warm front will move toward the region. Whether or not it makes it all the way through is still a question mark, but parts of the region, especially south of Boston, should see milder air move in for a while on Monday. The milder air will be preceded by some showers Sunday night and early Monday ahead of a cold front. While this won’t be drought-busting rainfall, every little bit helps at this point.
The models don’t agree on how far north the warm air will get on Monday. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.
Thursday night: Partly cloudy. Low 35-42.
Friday: A mix of sun and clouds, breezy. High 53-60.
Friday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 39-46.
Saturday: Partly sunny. High 52-59.
Saturday night: Clear to partly cloudy, some low clouds, fog, and drizzle are possible along the coast. Low 27-34.
Sunday: Becoming mostly cloudy. High 42-49.
Sunday night: Showers likely, maybe mixed with a little sleet or wet snow at the start up into central New Hampshire. Low 34-41.
Monday: Showers end early, skies may clear out in the afternoon, breezy. High 53-60, possibly a little cooler in southern New Hampshire.
After last night’s squall line, conditions will be significantly quieter for most of this week.
That was a fairly impressive squall line for mid-November that came through last evening. Loop provided by the Collegbe of DuPage
High pressure builds into the region today with breezy and cooler conditions as a cold front continues to push offshore. We’ll have some clouds popping up in the afternoon as cooler air moves in aloft, but we should remain dry. Another cold front will move through late Tuesday. This one may produce a few rain or snow showers, but for most of us it will pass through with little fanfare.
A few rain or snow showers are possible on Tuesday as a cold front moves through. Loop provided by WeatherBell.
Behind that front, much colder air will settle in for Wednesday. Temperatures likely won’t reach 40, with wind chills in the 20s or even upper teens. As winds die down Wednesday night, low temperatures will drop into the teens across much of the region. Thursday will still be chilly, but with high pressure sliding offshore, temperatures will start to moderate a bit. The moderating trend continues into the weekend, as temperatures climb back above normal for the latter half of November.
Wind chills will be in the upper teens and 20s Wednesday afternoon. Image provided by WeatherBell.
Monday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds, breezy. High 45-52.
Monday night: Clear skies. Low 29-36.
Tuesday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine, chance for a late-day rain or snow shower. High 40-47.
Tuesday night: Clearing, colder. Low 21-28.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, breezy, and chilly. High 29-36.
After several days of sunshine and record-breaking warmth, we’re going to be dealing with cooler conditions and some wet weather at times in the next few days. In other words, welcome to November.
November is off to a very warm start across the Northeast. Image provided by the Northeast Regional Climate Center.
Our record warmth is now a memory as a cold front has moved across the region. That front will stall out just to the south tonight, and a wave of low pressure will ride along it on Friday, bringing us some more showers as cooler air continues to settle into the area. Temperatures on Friday will be 25-30 degrees colder than they were on Wednesday.
Average high temperatures for mid-November are in the lower 50s across the area. Image provided by Weathermodels.com
High pressure builds in on Saturday with sunshine and temperatures that are more representative of mid-November. Sunday will start off dry, but another cold front will be approaching the region. We should turn milder again ahead of that front, but not nearly to the extent of what we’ve had for the past week. Showers are likely Sunday night into Monday morning as the front moves through. We’ll dry out and turn breezy and cooler again Monday afternoon as that front pushes offshore.
Thursday night: Cloudy with some patchy drizzle and a few showers. Low 37-44.
Friday: Scattered showers. High 46-53, possibly a little cooler north and west of 495.
Friday night: Clearing. Low 32-39.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High 44-51.
Saturday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 26-33.
Sunday: Some morning sun, then clouds move in during the afternoon with showers possible toward evening. High 52-59, possibly cooler in southern New Hampshire.
Sunday night: Cloudy and breezy with showers likely, ending before daybreak. Low 37-44.
Monday: Partly to mostly sunny and breezy. High 47-54.
The warm and dry weather will continue for a couple more days, but changes are coming.
High pressure remains in control into early Wednesday, which means we’ve got a few more more days with near-record temperatures across the region. While the days will be sunny and warm, the nights will be a bit different. Some low clouds and fog are possible in some areas, especially near the coast. For areas that don’t get any fog, clear skies and light winds will allow for radiational cooling.
Record highs will likely be broken across the Northeast again this afternoon. Image provided by Weathermodels.com
Wednesday is when the changes start happening. A strong cold front will approach from the west. Ahead of it, we’ll have some rain later Wednesday into Thursday, but it will remain warm, especially if we can get any sunshine during the morning. Since we’re still in a significant drought, and it hasn’t rained for a week, any rain is good news. While we may get some heavy rain, especially along the South Coast, it looks like the bulk of the heavy rain, some of which will be aided by moisture streaming northward from Eta, should stay south of the region.
Much of the region remains in a significant drought. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.
As the front moves offshore, the rain should taper off and end Thursday evening, but the front will stall out south of the region. How far south is still a bit of a question, but it may remain close enough for some additional showers on Friday, mainly along the South Coast, as a wave of low pressure rides along the front.
How much rain will we get this week? Some models show a decent amount, some don’t. Which will be right? Images provided by Pivotal Weather.
High pressure builds in later Friday into Saturday with some cooler conditions, but temperatures will still be near to above normal for mid-November, especially on Friday. Sunday is a bit of a question mark as the next system will be starting to approach from the west, but there are significant differences in the timing of this system, depending on which model you decide to look at.
Monday: Some patchy morning fog, then becoming mostly sunny. High 68-75.
Monday night: Clear skies, some low clouds and fog may return in some spots. Low 45-52, though some spots could drop as low as the upper 30s..
Tuesday: Sunshine and a few clouds. High 67-74.
Tuesday night: Clear to partly cloudy, again some low clouds and fog may develop. Low 52-59.
Wednesday: Some early sun, then becoming cloudy and breezy with showers developing late in the day, becoming a steady rain at night. High 67-74.
Thursday: Plenty of clouds with rain likely, ending late in the day. High 59-66.
Friday: A mix of sun and clouds, a few showers are possible along the South Coast, especially early. High 49-56.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and breezy. High 48-55.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. High 47-54.
This will likely be the shortest update we’ve ever written. High pressure remains in control right through the weekend and into the start of next week with generally fair weather and unseasonably mild temperatures.
While it’s quite mild here, temperatures will be as much as 20 degrees above normal across the Midwest this weekend. Image provided by WeatherBell.
Thursday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 47-54.
Friday: Becoming mostly sunny, a little breezy at times. High 64-71.
Friday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 44-51.
Saturday: Sunshine and some high clouds. High 65-72.
Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 41-48.
Sunday: Plenty of sunshine. High 63-70, a little cooler right along the coast.
We’ve got a busy start to the week, then things get rather simple as we head into the middle and end of the upcoming week.
Wind Advisories are in effect for much of the Northeast for Monday. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.
We start off with a blustery and chilly day in the wake of a strong cold front that moved through overnight. Gusty west to northwest winds will usher some chilly air back into the region, similar to what we had on Saturday. There will be some sunshine, but also a decent amount of cloudiness. The clouds will become more widespread at night as winds die down, thanks to an approaching Alberta Clipper. This will move through early Tuesday morning, bringing in some snow or rain showers, maybe even a few squalls. We’re not expecting much, if any, accumulation for most of us, but any squalls could whiten the ground and possibly drop up to half an inch of snow. These will be most likely north of Route 2, especially in the Worcester Hills and the Monadnocks of southwestern New Hampshire. Once that system moves through, skies will clear out, but we’ll have another blustery and chilly afternoon on Tuesday.
Wind gusts of 35-45 mph are possible across the region today. Image provided by WeatherBell.
Conditions become more tranquil on Wednesday as high pressure builds in with sunshine, lighter winds, and moderating temperatures. After that, the high moves offshore and remains there for the rest of the week and into the weekend. The result is generally fair weather with above normal temperatures. Some places could even make a run at 70 by next weekend.
Temperatures could reach 70 in many areas this coming weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com
Monday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine, windy, and chilly. High 36-43.
Monday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, rain or snow showers possible late at night. Low 27-34 during the evening, temperatures hold steady or rise a bit overnight.
Tuesday: Any rain or snow showers (or squalls) ending in the morning, then becoming partly sunny. High 40-47.
Tuesday night: Clear skies. Low 23-30.
Wednesday: Plenty of sunshine, milder. High 48-55.
We’ve got a little bit of everything coming up in the next few days, but that’s actually fairly typical for autumn.
The weekend starts off on a stormy note as the remains of Zeta pull away tonight while a second system quickly follows. The heaviest rain is expected this evening and the first part of tonight from Zeta’s remains, but as it pulls away, it will draw some colder air into the region just as the second storm moves in. As that colder air moves in, we’ll see the rain mix with and change over to sleet and wet snow, first in the hills of southwestern New Hampshire and central Massachusetts early Friday morning, then across the rest of southern New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts by daybreak or shortly thereafter. Everything should wind down by early afternoon, followed by rapid clearing and diminishing winds (more on this in a moment).
The rainfall tonight and early Friday will be beneficial and help put a dent in the ongoing drought. Image provided by Weathermodels.com
Since the National Weather Service has posted Winter Weather Advisories for the interior of the region, you must be expecting some decent snow, right? We don’t think so. Across the hills of Worcester County and the Monadnocks, a few inches may accumulate, possibly a little more on top of the hills. For Southern New Hampshire (Concord-Manchester-Nashua), you could see an inch or so, maybe two inches in a few spots, mainly on grassy surfaces. From the New Hampshire Seacoast into the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts we’re looking at an inch or less, again mainly on grassy surfaces. For the rest of us, just a mix of rain or snow, maybe enough to coat the grass in some spots, mainly from Metro West to the North Shore.
Winter Weather Advisories have been posted for interior portions of New England. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.
Why is our forecast for less than most of the TV and NWS forecasts out there? Most of the forecast models are showing the potential for 1-3, possibly as much as 6 inches of snow. However, a lot of people seem to forget a few things. First, those maps assume a 10:1 ratio of snow to liquid (1 inch of rain equals 10 inches of snow). With temperatures near or just above freezing, the ratio won’t be 10:1, more like 7 or 8 to 1, so that trims to 20-30% off of the map totals. Second. the ground is still relatively mild. While this impact is minor, it just means that the snow won’t stick initially, as it will melt on contact until the ground cools a bit more. So that may take away another 10% of the model totals. Factor those into the model forecasts, and you arrive at the numbers we have.
Once the system pulls away, it will clear out as we mentioned before. Temperatures will drop quickly, likely bottoming out in the 20s across much of the region, maybe even upper teens in some spots. Any roads that are still wet during the evening may start to ice up, especially bridges, overpasses, and elevated roadways. Keep this in mind if you’ll be out Friday night or early Saturday morning. As for Saturday, it’ll be a rather chilly Halloween despite sunshine. High temperatures will only get up into the middle to upper 40s at best.
Temperatures will only be in the 30s Saturday evening, so make sure the kids are dressed properly for trick-or-treating. Image provided by WeatherBell.
Saturday night probably won’t be quite as cold, as winds will shift into the southwest and clouds will start to move in. Sunday will be milder, but with a cold front approaching, a few showers are possible during the afternoon and evening. Much colder air settles in behind that front on Monday, when temperatures will struggle to reach 40 in some spots. We may even see a few flurries. The good news is, it looks like it will start to warm up again later next week, but we’ll have more details on this on our Weekly Outlook Monday morning.
Most of next week should feature temperatures that are near or a little above normal for early November. Image provided by WeatherBell.
Thursday night: Breezy with rain, possibly heavy at times, gradually mixing with and changing over to sleet and wet snow. Low 30-37, except 37-44 across Cape Cod and the Islands.
Friday: Snow or a wintry mix ending around midday, then skies start to clear out with diminishing winds. High 34-41, a little warmer across Cape Cod and the Islands.
Friday night: Clear and chilly. Low 18-25, 26-33 across Cape Cod and the Islands.
Saturday: Sunny and cool. High 40-47.
Saturday night: Clear during the evening, clouds start to move in after midnight. Low 25-32, but temperatures may start to rise a bit after midnight.
Sunday: Cloudy with a few late-day showers possible. High 54-61.
Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, any showers end during the evening. Low 30-37.
Monday: A mix of sun and clouds, slight chance for a snow flurry or a sprinkle. High 39-46.
Here at Storm HQ, we like to separate fact from fiction, or more appropriately, hype from reality. So, we’re going to do that once again in regards to a few topics involving this week’s weather.
Claim: 2020 is now the most active Hurricane Season on record.
Reality: Nope, it isn’t. Not yet at least. With the formation of now-Tropical Storm Zeta a few days ago, many people, including many that should know better, were quick to proclaim that 2020 had now tied 2005 as the busiest Atlantic Hurricane Season ever, since the last named storm in 2005 was also Zeta. However, many people didn’t bother to review that 2005 season. Every year, when the season ends (officially: November 30), the folks down at the National Hurricane Center do a review of everything, to see if there were any storms that they missed. It turns out, that in 2005, there was an unnamed subtropical storm that was added after the fact. So, 2005 ended up with 28 storms of tropical storm strength, and 2020 only has 27 such storms so far.
For those counting, 2005 still holds the record for the most number of named storms in a season (28). NHC identified an "unnamed" subtropical storm in its post-season analysis that year, which is included in the total. With #Zeta, the number for 2020 currently stands at 27.
As for Zeta itself, after making landfall in the Yucatan just south of Cancun last night with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph, it has weakened to a tropical storm. However, as of midday, the center was moving into the Gulf of Mexico, and it is expected to re-intensify into a hurricane later today. While Zeta is currently heading northwestward, a turn more toward the north and eventually northeast is expected over the next 24-36 hours, as a trough of low pressure in the nation’s midsection pulls the storm in. Unfortunately, that means that Zeta will likely make landfall as a hurricane late Wednesday afternoon or evening along the central Gulf Coast. The current forecast has landfall in southeastern Louisiana, but anywhere from western Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle should keep an eye on Zeta’s progress. Strong winds, storm surge, and flooding from heavy rain are all threats with this storm.
Tropical Storm Zeta is moving into the Gulf of Mexico at midday. Loop provided by Tropical Tidbits.
Claim: An historic arctic outbreak is impacting much of the Rockies and Plains.
Reality: This one is definitely true. It’s been brutally cold out there for the past few days, with many records not only being broken, but being annihilated, and in some cases, these records have stood for over 100 years. In Bozeman, Montana, the low temperature Monday morning was 20 below zero. The record low for the day was 11 above zero, set back in 2002. When a record low is broken by 31 degrees, that’s historic. The low of -20 also shattered that city’s record low for the month of October, which was -14. Again, beating a monthly record by 6 degrees doesn’t happen that often. A little farther to the south is the town of Lyman, Wyoming. Lyman was the nation’s cold spot on Monday, when the low temperature bottomed out at 31 degrees below zero. That’s the actual temperature, not the wind chill. This is the earliest in the season that anywhere in the Lower 48 states has ever dropped to 30 below or colder, breaking a record set on October 29, 1917. With all of this cold air in place, and a storm system in the Desert Southwest, snow and ice have been common from the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains and parts of Texas. This storm system and the cold air will move eastward over the next few days, but the air should moderate significantly.
It’s a wintry morning from the Southern Plains into parts of Texas and New Mexico. Loop provided by Weathertap.
Claim: Snow in Southern New England in October means that Winter won’t feature much snow.
Reality: As with most things involving winter in New England, this one varies. Most people believe this to be true because after the big pre-Halloween snowstorm (“Snowtober”) in 2011, we didn’t get much snow through the rest of the winter. Something similar happened in 1979, when we received measurable snow on October 9-10, then little to no snow through most of the winter. The problem is, those aren’t the only times it’s ever snowed in October around here. Using data for Lowell, snow has been recorded in October during 18 of the past 91 years. During those 18 years, Lowell has averaged 53″ of snow, compared to a “normal” winter, when Lowell averages 55.8″ of snow. Of these 18 winters, all of them except for 1979-80, 2001-02, and 2011-12 featured at least one month between November and April with above normal snow. (1979 and 2011 both had above normal snow in October). Of the remaining 15, 12 of them had at least two months with above normal snow. Of the 18 overall, 13 of them featured above normal snowfall in either December, January, or both months. So, if we see some flakes on Friday, it does not automatically mean that we won’t see much this winter. (Sorry!)
After “Snowtober” we didn’t get much snow during the following winter, but that’s not always the case when it snows in October. Image provided by the National Weather Service office in Norton, MA.
Claim: The first snowstorm of the winter is expected on Friday.
Reality: Unless you live in the hills of Worcester County or in southwestern New Hampshire, this is probably not true. We talked about this in our Weekly Outlook yesterday – the pattern for the end of the week is complex, but things are looking a little clearer today. What’s left of Zeta will pass south of the region on Thursday, bringing some much-needed rain into the area. However, it looks like the bulk of the heavy rain may stay south of New England. Right behind it will be the system that is producing wintry weather across the Southern Plains. That system will pass to our south Thursday night and early Friday. As colder air gets drawn southward behind Zeta’s remnants, and the moisture from the second storm moves in, we’ll likely see the rain mix with or change over to sleet and snow across the hills of Worcester County and into the Monadnocks of southern New Hampshire. In these spots, we could see some minor accumulations, possibly a few inches. For the rest of us from southern New Hampshire into eastern Massachusetts, some sleet or snow will likely mix with the rain before it ends Friday afternoon. While there could be some slushy accumulations on grassy surfaces in southern New Hampshire and the Merrimack Valley, this is far from definite and certainly isn’t a “snowstorm”, despite any hype from the local media. Plus, as we mentioned at the start of this paragraph, it isn’t even that uncommon. It happens on average once every five years in Lowell, and the last time that it happened was – five years ago, in 2015.
Saturday morning will be quite chilly across the region, with a killing freeze for everyone except possibly the Cape and Islands. Image provided by Weathermodels.com.
Once that storm moves away, some of the modified arctic air will move in, resulting in the coldest night of the season thus far. Temperatures will drop into the 20s across much of the area Saturday morning, resulting in a killing freeze in many places that have not yet had one. So, if you still have any plants outside that need to be brought in, now is the time. Despite sunshine, temperatures will only reach the 40s Saturday afternoon. For any kids that are trick-or-treating during the late afternoon or evening, temperatures will only be in the upper 30s to middle 40s, so make sure they are dressed properly for the weather.
Storm HQ 