A storm moving from the Ohio Valley to Nova Scotia will pass over Southern New England Wednesday night. Precipitation in Southeastern New England will be mainly rain, with a change to snow showers before ending around midday Thursday. The storm will feature wild temperature swings that may lead to a flash freeze during the Thursday morning commute. Winds will howl as the temperature plummets from the 40s to the 20s in just a few hours.
Car Travel Impact – The rain will be moderate Wednesday evening. It should not have a huge impact on travel. The bigger concern is Thursday morning as the temperature crashes below freezing. Any wet surfaces will freeze, and a crusty coating of snow is possible Thursday morning. There could be some icy travel during the Thursday morning commute.
School Impact – While there will not be enough snow to call for a school cancellation, the roads may be icy Thursday morning, and that could lead to some slow travel. It’s a tough call for school administrators because if the roads get icy, they will probably stay that way through mid to late morning while the snow shower threat continues. A best case scenario has the sub-freezing weather arriving later than expected, and the wind helping to dry the pavement to prevent a flash freeze.
Air Travel Impact – Flights in the Northeast could be affected Thursday morning due to combined strong winds and snow showers. At the very least, it will be a bumpy ride into or out of airports from New York to Maine.
Precipitation – The rain does not look particularly heavy, nor does the snow. However, the potential for a coating of snow with temperatures nosediving through the 20s Thursday morning could lead to
Wind Impact – Widespread damaging winds are not likely, but some 40+ mph gusts on Thursday will drop the wind chill to near zero. 40-50 mph gusts could cause a few downed branches and isolated power outages. The strongest winds are likely around midday Thursday in Eastern Massachusetts.