After Thursday you can say “so long” to temperatures in the 50s for a while. Part of the same system that brought heavy rain and mild conditions on Wednesday will come back at us with snow early Friday. The forecast is evolving quickly, and it’s unclear whether it will be a very minor event or something that will wreak havoc on the morning commute.
THURSDAY
After a damp start with scattered showers possible through around 10 am, it will become mostly cloudy. Highs will reach the 50s again. Skies may briefly clear in the evening.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Clouds will thicken quickly in the late evening, and rain/snow will likely develop after midnight. Any rain should change to snow as colder air arrives. Some accumulation is possible by dawn as the temperature falls to near 32. The best chance of more than an inch of snow by dawn is in Southeastern Massachusetts, where 2-3″ may fall.
FRIDAY
Snow continues in the morning, but it’s uncertain how far inland it will be. It may just be on Cape Cod or it could encompass all RI and SE MA. The potential exists for another 1-3″ of snow before it ends around noon. It’s a low-confidence forecast at this point. It will become partly cloudy in the afternoon, with highs in the mid 30s.
WEEKEND
Both Saturday and Sunday look partly cloudy and seasonably mild. Lows will be in the 20s early Saturday, but the temperature should reach 40 in the afternoon. Sunday will likely start in the upper 20s, and reach the low 40s.
EARLY NEXT WEEK
The pattern is favorable for a storm near the Northeast coast Monday or Tuesday. Right now, we’re favoring Tuesday as the main threat for snow or mixed precipitation in Southeastern New England. In any event, the second week of February looks a lot colder than this week. Highs will be in the 30s most of the week.
