Some sneaky snow squalls could cause a few headaches on the roads Tuesday.
The National Weather Service’s Boston office is warning that there’s a risk for “heavy snow squalls” during the morning commute.
“There could be a quick burst of snow showers, leading to a reduction in visibility for a brief time,” Andrew Loconto, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald.
“It may look like a snow globe outside for a little while,” he added.
A cold front will be moving through Tuesday morning — bringing strong gusty winds up to 50 mph, localized snow squalls and some slick travel conditions.
The greatest risk for the snow squalls will be across interior Massachusetts, with the best shot west of Interstate 495.
“A cold front will be accompanied by brief strong wind gusts Tuesday morning along with the potential for a few heavy snow squalls,” reads the National Weather Service’s forecast discussion.
“We will have to watch for hazardous travel in spots for the Tue AM commute as roads may quickly become snow covered with poor visibility/strong wind gusts,” NWS states.
There’s a long history of deadly car crashes associated with intense snow squalls.
Drivers are urged to delay their travel until the squall passes. If you’re in the middle of a squall, reduce your speed on the roads, turn on your hazard lights, and try to exit the roadway.
Following the snow squalls Tuesday morning, a fast-moving clipper system is expected to bring snow accumulations to the region late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service is forecasting 2 to 3 inches of snow across the region. The best chance for the higher snowfall amounts may be in western and northern Massachusetts.
Untreated roads may be snow covered and slippery for the Wednesday morning commute.
This will be followed by a cold front Wednesday afternoon and another round of scattered snow squalls.
A short lived arctic airmass then could bring wind chills near zero degrees late Wednesday night and Thursday morning.