Snow Tuesday PM

A light, fluffy accumulating snow will begin tomorrow afternoon and will continue into Wednesday.  A wave of low pressure will pass through Southern New England triggering snow after 2 PM tomorrow.  Tomorrow evening's commute will likely be slick and snowy especially in Worcester/Springfield/Hartford, but also creeping from Metrowest toward Boston.  Light snow should continue through the Wednesday AM commute.  Total accumulated snow will be 1-3" with perhaps a bit more at the coast.  The National Weather Service has issued a *Winter Weather Advisory* for most of Southern New England from 11 AM Tuesday to 4 AM Wednesday.

NWS Boston PM Headlines

General Overview/Short Term Forecast

Here is a snap shot of the water vapor satellite with the surface fronts added.

NOAA/NWS/NCEP GOES Composite Water Vapor 515 PM With Fronts 

Skies overnight will be mostly clear as low pressure south and east of New England pulls away.  Our storm is in the Midwest so it will take until tomorrow morning for the clouds to return.  The clear sky tonight will allow for temperatures to plummet into the teens.

NWS Monday PM/Tuesday AM minimum temperatures (Image Weatherbell)

Winds will be out of the west tonight gusting as high as 20-25 mph.  Winds will eventually shift tomorrow afternoon to the Southeast as the low reaches Southern New England.  Here is the projected surface chart as of 1 PM.

WPC Surface Fronts/Precipitation Tuesday 1 PM

Tuesday PM-Wednesday AM

At 1 PM temperatures will be in mid 20's.  Temperatures will drop to low 20's in Western and Northern Worcester County during the event.  Temperatures say in the 25-28 range in the Boston to Worcester to Hartford to Providence corridor.   Snow begins after 1 PM but probably closer to 3 PM.  Here is the simulated radar for Tuesday 5 PM.

18z NAM 3 km sim radar Tuesday 5 PM (image Weatherbell)

Snow looks to be moderate until 9-10 PM when 1-3 inches will fall.  Snow will lessen in intensity until around 2-3 AM when a secondary burst of snow is likely with another 1-3".  I am not sure where this will set up yet, probably closer to Boston.  Temperatures will begin to rise Wednesday AM as winds shift from the east to the southwest.  Precipitation ends around 10 AM region-wide.  Total snow accumulation is 2-4".

NWS Snowfall Forecast through Wednesday 1 PM (image Weatherbell)

Colder air returns for Thursday/Friday.

Snow Season To Date

Source-NWS NOWData 

Adding 3-4" inches puts us right about average in Worcester and perhaps above average in Providence.  Boston is down but if Logan picks up 5" (possible) they are down 3" going into February which is the snowiest month in Southern New England.  It has been a warm winter for sure.

CFSv2 month to date temperature anomaly (C) (image Weatherbell)

Above average in January is still cold.

-Zack Green