The low pressure system of this weekend is long gone and the last of the precipitation has moved offshore. The storm, or lack thereof, gave area forecasters headaches all weekend as they tried to figure out what impacts the storm would have throughout the region. As we now know the storm never came close to its full potential locally and what snow the area did pick up on Sunday was more related to an upper level disturbance than it was directly related to the ocean system. The surface low and upper level low never came together to form the impressive storm all thought would impact the area Saturday night and Sunday. Having said that, some of you to the north and west of Boston did pick up several inches of snow yesterday afternoon and last night as the upper level disturbance moved across the area.
Snowfall reports: Framingham about 6 inches, Groton 5.5, Topsfield, Gloucester and west Newbury all about 3.5, Wakefield almost 3 inches and Beverly and Winthrop about 2 inches. The jackpot was northern Worcester County which saw totals range from 6 to as much as 10 inches.
As you go back to work or are returning from school vacation we can tell you that the early portion of the new work week will be quiet before another period of unsettled weather arrives Tuesday night into Wednesday. The second half of the week has many forecast questions and there is a good chance that the area remains unsettled Tuesday night through Friday. Temperatures are going to be marginal at times, making it difficult to forecast precipitation type through this period. One thing is fairly certain and that is February goes out with a string of unsettled days and March may very well be welcomed with much the same type of weather. This is not to say that it will be precipitating all the time but certainly there will be plenty of cloudiness around with showery type precipitation at times.
High pressure will expand from the Great Lakes toward New England today and provides us with fair weather and seasonable temperatures into Tuesday. The high will move offshore by Tuesday night as low pressure moves northeast from the Mississippi Valley. This low will take up residence over southern New England later Wednesday, giving us an extended period of unsettled weather.
The precipitation is expected to begin Tuesday night and will probably be all snow, however the coast may be a snow and rain mix, changing to rain Wednesday. Interior sections will be slower to changeover but will eventually make the transition to rain during the day. Showers may very well linger into Thursday and Friday as well. The showers may be a mix of rain and snow, mostly snow at night, with the precipitation shutting off by the weekend, if all goes to plan.
Interior sections could see a few inches of snow Tuesday night and early on Wednesday before the mix and change to rain occurs. Far inland sections, west of Route 495, may hang onto the snow into the afternoon. Its possible an inch could accumulate closer to the coast before the change to rain.
Five Day Outlook:
Monday: Partly to mostly cloudy. Seasonal temperatures as highs climb to around 40 degrees. Light north winds.
Monday night: Partly cloudy and chilly. Lows 25 to 29. Light winds.
Tuesday: Partly sunny to start, with clouds on the increase during the afternoon. Highs 39 to 43. Light winds.
Tuesday night: Becoming cloudy, with snow developing. Snow may mix with rain on the coast. Lows 30 to 34. East winds increasing to 12 to 20 mph.
Wednesday: Rain and snow showers, changing to mostly rain by afternoon. Highs 35 to 39.
Wednesday night: Showers continue, probably changing to snow showers inland. Lows 32 to 36.
Thursday through Friday night: Mostly cloudy skies, chance of rain and snow showers. Highs 39 to 43. Overnight lows 29 to 33.
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