Final Storm Of 2012
After a sunny to partly cloudy afternoon with highs near 37, it will cool off to the 20s tonight as the just past Full Cold Moon fades behind increasing clouds. We're watching the next weather maker in the lower Mississippi Valley. It is located almost in the same place as its predecessor that produced a variety of weather problems here yesterday. No two storms are duplicates and this one will be no exception. It has a different set of characteristics and the outcome will be different as well. This storm will track northeastward toward VA then pass south of Cape Cod tomorrow night. Its path will be close enough to release a few inches of snow over the region. The heaviest snow is expected over southern CT, southern RI into southern Bristol County and southern interior Plymouth County where 6 up to possibly 9" could accumulate. A 3-6" strip will be placed north of that basically along the MA Pike into Boston. Presently, I expect 4 perhaps almost 5" in Boston with lower totals closer to 3 or so closer to the NH border with a drop to a couple of inches north of that. Along the southern Plymouth County coastline, amounts will be cut down to 3-6" due to mixing and even lower over the western Cape with 1-3" snow mainly near the back end of the storm with only a coating on the outer Cape at the end with probably no snow on Nantucket. The wind will not match the magnitude of the previous storm which is good news for coastal residents as no flooding should occur. The gusts may peak past 30 mph on Cape Cod with less wind farther north. The snow should commence the first half of tomorrow afternoon then ramp up by evening and start winding down in the early morning hours of Sunday. The storm will be in the process of intensifying as it is passing by our latitude so it appears that most of its fury will be spent out over the ocean.
After its passage early Sunday morning, there will be gusty northwesterly winds of 15-35 mph and possibly stronger with any morning cloudiness and scattered flurries giving way to more substantial sunshine. Expect highs in the lower 30s so by kickoff time at the Pats/Dolphins Game it will be back in the upper 20s to fall to about 26 by the end of the game. On the last day of 2012, it should be sunny to partly cloudy with highs in the middle 30s. For First Night, it will be partly cloudy with temperatures falling into the middle 20s by the time we ring in 2013. After that, a couple of masses of frigid air will be streaming out of Canada into the Northeast during next week without any storms.
Todd Gutner will have an update later in the day.
Have a great weekend and GO PATS!
