It won’t be the blizzard that walloped the Boston-area on the final weekend of January two years ago, but a coastal storm will likely impact the region from Sunday night into Monday.
Around 6 inches of snow will be possible for parts of Massachusetts, while total snow accumulation amounts remain highly uncertain.
AccuWeather’s snow estimate for the city of Boston was up to 3 inches in its latest forecast.
“The storm should be moving in during the day on Sunday when temperatures are above the freezing mark,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Feerick told the Herald on Thursday. “It looks like it will be a mix of rain and wet snow during the day on Sunday, with not a lot of accumulation during the day.
“Then colder air should wrap in Sunday night, and there will be a transition to all snow Sunday night, lasting into the day on Monday,” he added.
In the areas north and west of the city, AccuWeather’s forecast is 3 to 6 inches of snow from Sunday night into Monday. The initial forecast for Boston is 1 to 3 inches.
Monday morning’s commute should be impacted, the meteorologist added.
“The storm will more likely impact the morning commute than the afternoon, with things drying out and the snow winding down then,” Feerick said.
The National Weather Service’s Boston office wouldn’t give out any snow estimates as of Thursday, but NWS did put out a map that showed the chances of seeing 3 inches of snow or more. The highest likelihood was in central Massachusetts.
“Odds are 50/50 for most but lower near the South Coast,” NWS Boston posted. “At least some accumulation is likely so keep those shovels handy! Stay tuned for updates.”
It’s expected to be a chilly rain on Sunday, with temps in the upper 30s along with strong northeast winds, especially in eastern Massachusetts.
“So what we know at the moment, is that there will be accumulating snow Sunday night into Monday,” NWS wrote on its website. “Models are trending stronger and colder with this system. What remains unknown is — 1) the transition timing of the rain/snow line from NW to SE, 2) amplitude of system will determine duration of snow and amounts — slower vs more progressive, and 3) area of max snowfall. Hence, lots of predictability issues.”
With temps falling below freezing Sunday night into Monday, “travel will be impacted,” NWS added. “Stay tuned to later forecasts and discussion.”