Gusty southwest winds had the temperature soaring through the 40s on Saturday afternoon. It was feeling more like early-March than mid-January in Southern New England with partly to mostly sunny skies. The only downside was the wind which consistently gusted over 35 mph, with peak gusts near 50 mph in some places. The following are some of the peak wind gusts from Saturday morning and early-afternoon as reported through NWS Skywarn:
Measured Wind Gusts (40 MPH or Greater):
Rockport, MA: 54 MPH Gust at 853 AM/52 MPH Gust at 603 AM
South Kingstown, RI (Wakefield section), RI: 52 MPH Gust at 803 AM/49 MPH Gust at 114 PM
Harwich, MA: 50 MPH Gust at 505 AM and 809 AM
Chatham, MA: 49 MPH Gust at 547 AM
New Shoreham, RI (Block Island): 49 MPH Gust at 910 AM
Barrington, RI (Conimicut Point): 47 MPH Gust at 1206 PM/43 MPH Gust at 924 AM
Scituate (Humarock Beach), MA: 46 MPH Gust at 1139 AM/40 MPH Gust at 1048 AM
Milton, MA (Blue Hill non-ASOS station): 46 MPH gust at 1015 AM/44 MPH gust at 945 AM
Charlestown, RI (Quonochontaug): 45 MPH Gust at 937 AM
Fall River (Borden Flats), MA: 44 MPH Gust at 906 AM/41 MPH Gust at 606 AM
Hull, MA: 44 MPH Gust at 939 AM
Westerly, RI: 43 MPH Gust at 1221 PM
Fairhaven (West Island), MA: 41 MPH Gust at 1230 PM/40 MPH Gust at 600 AM
Newport, RI: 40 MPH Gust at 748 AM
The wind will stay active with gusts over 30 mph through Saturday night and Sunday morning. It will also stay relatively mild. The low temperature will not drop below freezing Saturday night – a far cry from the normal low near 20 degrees. Lows will be in the mid to upper 30s. Sunday morning looks windy and mild, with a blend of clouds and sun. The temperature will jump into the mid to upper 40s ahead of a cold front that will bring a drastic change to Southern New England early next week. The weather will be windy and turning colder during the afternoon and evening at Gillette Stadium for the AFC Championship game.
Some snow possible Monday into Tuesday
The temperature will nosedive into the upper teens to low 20s by early Monday morning. Monday should be partly to mostly cloudy with highs in the mid to upper 20s. Some light snow or snow showers may develop during the afternoon and evening.
You will probably hear the term “NorLun Trough” thrown around in weather circles over the next couple of days. Basically, the NorLun Trough is a connection between a developing offshore storm and a disturbance close to the Great Lakes. That convergence zone can serve as the impetus for some steady snow.
At this point, it is very hard to determine where the trough will setup and how strong it will be. Climatologically, the NorLun Trough usually sets up a little farther north than RI and SE MA, but there are some models that are indicating that this time the steadiest snow will be over these areas. The forecast right now is for snow showers or light snow Monday night into Tuesday morning, with a minor, fluffy accumulation possible. This forecast is subject to change based on the position and strength of the trough. It will be very cold with lows in the teens Monday night, and highs in the 20s on Tuesday. A north-northeasterly breeze will make it feel even colder.
Bitter cold into Friday
There will be a bitter chill in Southern New England Wednesday into Friday. Lows will be in the single digits and low teens, highs will be in the teens to low 20s. The weather looks dry and breezy, with partly sunny skies. The northerly wind will have wind chills below zero inland at the bus stop in the morning. As cold as it will be in Southern New England, it will be much colder in Northern New England. The temperature in far northern VT, NH, and ME may not make it above zero for most of the workweek!
Some snow is possible late next week as a storm moves across the country into the Northeast. As with any 6-7 day forecast, there is a large amount of uncertainty, but some computer models are indicating an accumulating, plowable snow Friday into Saturday.