It’s amazing how much difference a few degrees and less wind can make on how it feels outside. After nearly a week straight of sub-freezing weather in Southern New England, the temperature climbed into the upper 20s to low 30s in many spots by mid-afternoon Sunday. With bright blue sky and a lighter breeze, it was actually decent, relatively speaking, to be outside for a little while. The sky will stay clear Sunday night with temperatures dropping into the mid to upper teens by dawn.
Clouds will increase Monday morning in advance of a warm front that will bring wintry precipitation Monday afternoon and evening to Southern New England. The cold air is well established, especially in the interior sections of RI, CT, and MA, and the initial thrust of precipitation will be snow in most spots. A minor snow accumulation is likely for all except for the immediate coast before a transition to sleet, freezing rain and rain.
The temperature will climb above freezing fairly quickly near the coast, and that will mean a relatively quick transition from frozen to liquid precipitation. Well inland, however, it will take several hours for the temperature to reach freezing. That means road conditions may stay slick after the change from snow to sleet and/or freezing rain. By the time the evening commute arrives, the precipitation will likely be either snow or rain near the coast, and snow, sleet or freezing rain inland. Odds are the weather will impact the commute, especially away from the coast. As the evening progresses, the precipitation will change to rain near the coast and sleet or freezing rain inland. While the temperature is expected to get slightly above freezing in the I-95 corridor, it may stay below freezing all night in NW RI, interior CT, and Worcester County.
Tuesday will be a mostly cloudy, cool day, with highs in the upper 30s to low 40s. Warmer weather arrives in advance of a cold front on Wednesday. The temperature will climb through the 40s into the low to mid 50s Wednesday evening. There will be a strong southerly wind which may gust over 50 mph near the coast of CT, RI and MA Wednesday night. Heavy rain showers will move through Southern New England with temperatures staying in the 40s and 50s until the front passes and the wind shifts to the northwest ushering in colder weather by Thursday morning. The chilly weather will stick around through the end of the week. A full update on the forecast for the week ahead will be available later Sunday on rightweather.net.