#Snowstorm

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.

Weekly Outlook: January 19-25, 2026

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If you’re looking for a week for a tropical vacation, this may be the one, because we’re in for some very chilly air at times this week.

Wind chills will be in the single numbers and below zero when you head out the door Wednesday morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Snow will end this morning as low pressure pulls away from the region, with some clearing possible during the afternoon. However, an arctic cold front will move through this evening, possibly accompanied by a few snow showers or squalls. They shouldn’t be that widespread, but could cause a few issues if you have to get caught under one. Luckily they’ll be moving through during the night, when very few people will be on the roads. High pressure builds in on Tuesday, with a very cold day despite sunshine. Temperatures will only get unto the upper teens and 20s, with wind chills in the single numbers or below zero. As the high moves off to the east, temperatures will start to moderate, but we’ll also see some clouds start to move in during the day ahead of the next storm system. This storm will bring in some snow showers late Wednesday night and early Thursday, but it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. High pressure then builds in with some bitterly cold air for the end of the week and the weekend.

High temperatures will only be in the teens on Saturday, Image provided by Weathermodels.com

By the end of the weekend we’re going to be keeping an eye on a storm system passing south of the region. We’ll have plenty of cold air with a large area of high pressure in place, the question is, how far north does the precipitation get. Some models keep it well to the south, with the high to the north keeping us very cold but dry, others have the precipitation move in with some snow possible. At this point, it’s still nearly a week away, so it’s impossible to tell which, if either, solution will be right. For now, we’ll just keep an eye on it as the week goes on, but we’re leaning towards the bitterly cold and dry solution.

Most of the models keep us dry and bitterly cold next Sunday, but not all of them. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Snow showers ending in the morning, some afternoon sunny breaks develop, becoming breezy. High 29-36.

Monday night: Partly cloudy with a chance for a few snow showers before midnight, clearing after midnight, breezy. Low 12-19.

Tuesday: Partly to mostly sunny, breezy. High 19-26.

Tuesday night: Clear skies. Low 4-11.

Wednesday: Morning sun, then increasing afternoon clouds. High 25-32.

Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, chance for snow showers after midnight. Low 21-28, temperatures may rise a little overnight.

Thursday: Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy, some snow showers possible in the morning. High 35-42.

Thursday night: Becoming clear. Low 14-21.

Friday: Partly sunny, breezy, colder. High 23-30.

Saturday: A mix of sun and clouds, breezy. High 14-21.

Sunday: Partly sunny. High 11-18.

Weekly Outlook: December 22-28, 2025

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If you’re dreaming of a White Christmas, you may just get your wish.

The week starts off with high pressure bringing us a breezy and dry and chilly day today, but that won’t last long. Clouds quickly return later today as a fast-moving storm system moves out of the Great Lakes. We’ll see some light snow developing Tuesday morning, continuing through much of the day, ending in the evening. Temperatures may be just mild enough for a mix or change to rain near the South Coast and across the Cape and Islands. While the system may not have much impact on the morning commute, it will impact the evening commute, so keep this in mind. Because it’s a fast-moving storm, and doesn’t have a lot of moisture with it, we’re only expecting 1-3 inches for most spots, a little less where rain mixes in.

Tuesday’s snow will not be that big of a deal, but it could impact the afternoon commute. Image provided by WeatherBell.

High pressure builds in for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with generally dry and seasonably cold conditions, though we could still see a few snow showers on Christmas Eve, mainly near the coast thanks to an offshore low pressure system. The end of the week and the weekend presents more problems. A frontal boundary will be nearby, separating some rather chilly air to our north from unseasonably warm air to the south. We’re also going to have a low pressure system moving along that boundary toward the region. Where that boundary eventually settles has a HUGE impact on our forecast. Is it mild with rain? Is it colder with a wintry mix or even some moderate to heavy snow? As you might expect, the models are all over the place, and any of these scenarios could be plausible. For now, we’re going to go with the middle ground, but this is a low confidence forecast at this point. Oh, and another system could follow on Sunday with some similar issues. We’ll obviously go into a lot more detail on both the Friday and Sunday potential storms when we publish our Weekend Outlook, which will be on Wednesday this week.

The models all have different ideas for the system on Friday. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Mostly sunny, clouds start to filter in during the afternoon, thickening up late in the day, breezy in the morning. High 28-35.

Monday night: Becoming cloudy. Low 20-27.

Tuesday: Cloudy with light snow developing in the morning, except rain near the South Coast and Cape Cod, tapering off towards evening. High 32-39.

Tuesday night: Any lingering snow or rain showers ending, some clearing possible late at night. Total snow accumulation 1-3 inches for most spots, less than 1″ near the South Coast and Cape Cod. Low 24-31.

Christmas Eve: Intervals of clouds and sun with a few snow showers possible along the coast, partly sunny inland, breezy. High 33-40.

Wednesday night: Clear to partly cloudy during the evening, clouds return overnight. Low 18-25.

Christmas Day: Partly to mostly cloudy. High 36-43.

Thursday night: Mostly cloudy. Low 20-27.

Friday: Cloudy with some snow or rain likely. High 31-38.

Saturday: A few snow showers early, becoming partly sunny. High 29-36.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, chance for snow or rain. High 36-43.

Snow Kidding, a White Sunday is on the Way

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If you live in the Merrimack Valley, and points north and west, you already saw your first snowstorm of the season a little more than a week ago. The rest of us get that experience Sunday morning.

Areas well north and west of Boston got their first snowstorm about 10 days ago. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

A complex low pressure system is going to impact much of Southern New England for a good chunk of Sunday, including the Patriots/Bills game in Foxborough. An upper level disturbance is moving across Ontario this evening while a surface low pressure system takes shape over the Mid-Atlantic states. If conditions were a little more favorable, this could become a blockbuster snowstorm, but that won’t be the case here. We’re already seeing a little rain developing across parts of the Mid-Atlantic, including the New York City area, but as the system moves off the Virginia coastline overnight and strengthens colder air will move in, changing the precipitation over to snow. We should see snow spreading across our area a little after midnight, though it will probably be mixed with rain across parts of Cape Cod and the Islands to start. Snow showers and some periods of steady light snow are expected for the rest of the overnight and into Sunday morning. The bulk of the snow will be found south of the Mass Pike, with just some snow showers to the north, though the latest models are showing a little bit more snow to the north of Boston as well, as the system is coming in a little farther north. As the system starts to pull away by midday Sunday we’ll see the snow taper off, and gusty northwest to north winds will develop, ushering colder air in. Some ocean-effect snow may continue across parts of Cape Cod into the late afternoon or evening, but it should wind down at that point.

Snow moves in overnight, and ends Sunday afternoon/evening. Loop provided by WeatherBell.

This storm will not be that big of a deal for most of us, and shouldn’t have too much of an impact on the region, though if you’re heading to and from Foxborough there will be a bit more of an impact. If you’re arriving early to tailgate, expect to do it in the snow. As for the game, the snow should be winding down towards halftime, but for the 2nd half it’ll be windy and turning colder, so plan ahead for that it you’ll be sitting in the stands.

It might looks like this in Foxborough again Sunday morning. Image provided by the New England Patriots.

As for amounts, here’s what we’re thinking:

Central NH: Less than 1″
Southern NH/NH Seacoast/North Shore/Merrimack Valley: Around 1″
MetroWest/Metro Boston/Central MA: 1-2″
Northern RI/Northern portions of Plymouth/Bristol County (North of Route 44): 1-3″
Outer Cape Cod/Nantucket: 2-4″
Southern RI/Southern portions of Plymouth/Bristol County (South of Route 44)/Upper Cape Cod/Martha’s Vineyard: 3-5″

Snowfall amounts will be generally light to borderline moderate. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

You’ll have plenty of time to clean off the driveway after the snow is done, and you’ll want to do that at that point. With temperatures plunging into the teens for much of the region Sunday night, if you wait until Monday morning to clean off the driveway (or your car), it will be a lot more difficult.

Weekly Outlook: December 1 – 7, 2025

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That time has arrived. You know what we’re talking about. That S-word is in the forecast for part of the region. You know the one. It’s 4 letters and rhymes with blow.

Winter Storm Watches are in effect from Boston’s northern and western suburbs into Northern New England. Image provided by the National Weather Service office in Norton, MA.

The week starts off with high pressure giving us a breezy and cool Monday, but clouds move in Monday night, setting up a messy Tuesday. Despite the hype online for the past week, this will NOT be a big deal for a good chunk of the region, though it is the first one this season, so be prepared for lots of people that forgot how to drive in wintry weather (or never knew how to in the first place). That high will be moving off to the east, so while it’ll be chilly to start the day, we won’t have a lot of cold air in place for much of the storm. An upper-level disturbance will be moving in from the Great Lakes while low pressure develops off the Carolinas heading northeastward. These two won’t join forces until they are well past us, so a blockbuster snowstorm is not expected. In fact, this one will be moving fairly quickly, likely in and out in about 12 hours. We’ll see precipitation developing near or just after the morning rush hour. Temperatures should be cold enough for it to start as snow for most of the region, except for Southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape, and Islands. However, with the ocean still relatively mild (water temperatures are in the 40s to lower 50s), a quick change to rain is expected south and east of Interstate 95. How far inland that rain/snow line gets will be determined by the exact track that the developing coastal storm takes, but that is still a bit of a question mark at this point. Right now, we’re expecting the changeover to likely get as far inland as Interstate 495, but that is highly uncertain. Precipitation will fall moderate to heavy at times on Tuesday, especially south of Boston, but as the system pulls away from the region later in the day, colder air may allow the rain/snow line to quickly move back toward the coast, with much of the region possibly ending as some snow before midnight, except possibly the Cape and Islands. So, how much are we expecting?

Cape Cod/Islands: Rain
Southeastern MA/RI (South and east of I-95): A coating.
Boston-Providence (I-95 corridor): Less than 1″
Northern RI/MetroWest/North Shore: 1-3″
Merrimack Valley: 2-4″
Southern NH/NH Seacoast: 3-6″
Worcester Hills/Monadnocks/Central NH: 4-8″ (possibly 10″ in spots, especially in the higher elevations)

The Blend of Models is probably closest to our forecast for snowfall. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Once the system pulls away we turn drier and chilly for Wednesday as high pressure builds in. Another cold front moves through on Thursday, with a few snow showers or squalls likely accompanying it. Friday looks to be another dry and cold day as high pressure builds back in. The weekend looks unsettled at this point, but nothing significant. Another system will pass by to the south Saturday morning and afternoon with some snow showers inland and rain showers along the coast. At this point, any accumulations look to be light, but that can obviously change, so we’ll keep an eye on it as the week goes on. Another Alberta Clipper quickly follows for later on Sunday. For now, this one looks to be just a few rain showers, possibly snow or a wintry mix well inland, but again, a lot can change between now and then.

It’s going to get quite chilly behind a cold front Thursday night. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Monday: Mostly sunny, breezy. High 36-43.

Monday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy. Low 20-27, milder across Cape Cod, temperatures start rising after midnight.

Tuesday: Cloudy with snow developing (rain Cape Cod and SE Mass), quickly changing to rain south and east of I-95, eventually changing to rain as far inland as I-495. High 32-39 north and west of I-95, 40-47 south and east, possibly warmer across Cape Cod.

Tuesday night: Rain changes back to snow before ending across much of the region, rain ending across Cape Cod, becoming breezy, especially along the coast. Skies start to clear out late at night. Low 23-30.

Wednesday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds. High 33-40.

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

Thursday: Intervals of clouds and sun, breezy, chance for a few snow showers or squalls. High 34-41.

Thursday night: Becoming clear, breezy during the evening, much colder. Low 7-14, warmer in urban areas and along the coast.

Friday: Mostly sunny in the morning, clouds start to filter in during the afternoon. High 23-30, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Saturday: Cloudy with a chance for snow showers inland, rain showers along the coast, mostly during the morning and early afternoon. High 34-41.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, chance for a few afternoon rain showers, possibly mixed with snow or sleet at the start well north and west of Boston. High 34-41.