Snow Squalls, Bitter Cold And Then Plowable Snow Monday
BOSTON (CBS) - My mother always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Judging by the angry, bitter response to this seemingly endless winter, perhaps I should have stopped writing these storm blogs a few weeks ago.
I'm also guessing you don't want to hear any cute weather phrases like "March is going to come in like a lion!" Especially given that this winter has been in full-fledged "lion-mode" for the past three months! I would say that the lions seemed to have devoured the lambs, giving them no chance at a comeback.
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Spring has to arrive eventually, it always does, the sun makes sure of it, but I can say with 100-percent certainty that it will not be next week.
First things first, before we look ahead to what could be another significant snowstorm next week, let's focus on there here and now.
SNOW SQUALLS
Arctic air has been pouring in here all week long from our friends north of the border in Canada. But, the coldest air of the week and likely the month, is knocking on our door and sadly Mother Nature is about to open up and let it in. This latest burst of bone-chilling air will arrive Thursday afternoon and evening and along with it, some nasty snow squalls.
Think of snow squalls sort of like summer-time thunderstorms, just a lot colder and whiter.
Today will be a day to keep an eye on the radar.
Any time after noon we will be under the gun for potential rapidly developing snow squalls, moving from west to east across Massachusetts.
There may actually be two rounds of snow, first between 1 and 4 p.m. and a second, final line of squalls between 6 and 8 p.m.
Much like summertime storms, the snow will not happen and accumulate everywhere. But, where a squall does occur, it may be very heavy for 30 minutes or so, causing brief whiteout conditions while dropping a very quick dusting to an inch of snow.
FRIGID FRIDAY
Following these squalls, temperatures will plunge tonight, putting many suburbs in the single digits either side of zero degrees. The winds will make those temperatures feel even colder - windchill values will range from about -5 to -20 degrees overnight and into Friday. In fact many 'burbs will struggle to reach 20 degrees on Friday.
As if that wasn't enough, there's plenty more winter where that came from.
MONDAY STORM
By now you have probably heard, there is a fairly good chance that Monday will be another snow day here in southern New England. While it is still a bit early for specifics, I think we can make some early assumptions.
First, this looks to be a mainly all-snow event, plenty of cold air, certainly no precipitation-type issues for most of interior southern New England.
The "brunt" of this storm will likely arrive during Monday morning and afternoon, mostly a daytime event.
WHAT TO EXPECT
I would expect about 12-18 hours of storminess Monday, perhaps a few inches by the morning commute, a mess for the evening commute, and tapering off later Monday night.
Six inches or more are a possibility and, at this point, 10 inches certainly doesn't look like a stretch with this event. It's still a bit early to detail where the heaviest snow will fall, but I would plan for and expect a widespread plowable snowfall.
I will stress, as I always do, that it is still very early and there is plenty of wiggle room with this event.
The heaviest ribbon of snow will be somewhat narrow and may end up being just to our south (over New Jersey and Long Island), meaning a glancing blow for southern New England. Both scenarios are still very much in play.
Finally, this does not appear to be a major coastal event. Winds and tides should only produce minor issues, although, astronomically speaking, the tides are on the high side on Monday, so some splash over is possible with any significant storminess.
So there you have it, a new month coming but same 'ol weather story - more cold and more snow.
Just think, it will make spring feel so much more sweet when it finally does arrive.
Follow Terry on Twitter @TerryWBZ
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