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Cooler Sunday; Snowstorm Possible Midweek

The temperature jumped to near 60° with a gusty breeze on Saturday. The wind will shift to the northwest following a frontal passage, and colder weather will arrive on Sunday. It will be in the low 30s early in the day, and warm into the low 40s in the afternoon. The gusty west-northwest breeze will make it feel cooler, even with a decent amount of sunshine.

Colder weather rides in on a northwest breeze on Sunday
Colder weather rides in on a northwest breeze on Sunday

It will get even colder early in the week. The temperature will drop into the teens to low 20s by dawn Monday. Monday will be dry and very cold for late March. Highs will be in the upper 20s to low 30s with mostly sunny skies. The breeze will keep wind chills in the upper teens to low 20s. The unseasonably cold weather sticks around through the midweek, and it looks like there will be some snow to go along with it.

Energy moving out of the Gulf of Mexico and Midwest United States will combine and lead to a very intense storm in the Atlantic Ocean early Wednesday
Energy moving out of the Gulf of Mexico and Midwest United States will combine and lead to a very intense storm in the Atlantic Ocean early Wednesday

A storm will develop off the Southeast United States coast early Tuesday. It will grab some energy from the northern branch of the jet stream and explode into a monster storm within 24 hours as it moves northeast through the Atlantic Ocean over the warm water of the Gulf Stream.

This meteorological “bomb” will likely come close enough to Southern New England to bring very rough weather to Eastern Massachusetts and spring snow to most or all of New England. The exact track of the storm is still questionable, and the storm’s impacts will vary greatly depending on that track. If it’s passes relatively close to Nantucket, then a blizzard is likely for Eastern Massachusetts and possibly Rhode Island. If it moves farther east, then there will only be fringe effects in Rhode Island, with the heavier snow and strong winds confined to Cape Cod and the islands. Since the jet stream energy for the storm is just reaching the Western United States, it’s a little early to say how close the track will be to New England. Just know that the potential exists for a major snowstorm from the I-95 corridor through Southeastern Massachusetts.

A rapidly intensifying storm will pass by Southern New England Tuesday night
A rapidly intensifying storm will pass by Southern New England Tuesday night

Snow will likely develop late Tuesday afternoon or Tuesday evening and continue through Wednesday morning. The worst weather is likely after midnight through mid-morning. The worst conditions based on the current projected storm track will be on Cape Cod and the islands, but accumulating snow is likely in all of RI and SE MA. Snow amounts may drop off quickly from east to west in Connecticut and Central Massachusetts. It will be breezy to windy, with the potential for strong, damaging wind gusts of 50-60 mph on Cape Cod and the islands. The winds will not be as strong near Buzzards Bay and in RI unless the storm tracks closer than the current consensus track. The temperature will be in the 30s during the day on Tuesday, and in the 20s Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Snow will end Wednesday afternoon from west to east. The temperature will climb into the mid to upper 30s by late in the day. Thursday looks quiet and cool, with highs in the 40s. Believe it or not, the temperature may get well into the 50s on Friday before rain arrives next weekend. If there is a big impact from the midweek storm, the rapid melting combined with potentially heavy rain next weekend could lead to flooding. It’s a long way off, but something to watch.

We will continue to keep you updated on this wild weather pattern. For the latest in-depth updates, subscribe to Right Weather Pro for just $39.99/year. That’s less than $0.25 per Pro update including Long Range and Seasonal Forecasts, and a custom event and vacation forecast, too. Pro members have known about the potential for a big storm in the middle of next week since Monday.

Fred Campagna

President and Chief Meteorologist - Right Weather LLC AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist #756 AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist #126

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