Weather
“I think even areas that receive an inch should hold onto the snow through Christmas Day.”
If you were paying close attention to the temperature the past couple of days, you would have noticed it actually got warmer Saturday night into Sunday morning, and then turned colder Sunday morning into Sunday afternoon. It was the opposite of what you would normally expect due to warm and cold air advection disrupting the typical pattern from day to night.
As we start Christmas week, sunny skies will be prevalent across New England. Temperatures will be holding in the 30s, but with a persistent wind on Monday, wind chill values will be in the single digits over inland areas at sunrise and the teens along the coastline. They will remain in the teens to mid-20s throughout most of the day.
On Monday night, a warm front begins to approach the area from the south. It will still be far enough away that I do not expect any precipitation. Temperatures will fall back into the 20s, certainly cold enough for wintry weather on Tuesday.
Tuesday: Snow arrives
As moisture continues to stream north on Tuesday, the clouds will thicken and snow will break out across the area, most likely after the morning commute. The snow could hold off until the afternoon, depending on the speed of the warm front. Most of the precipitation is going to fall from early evening Tuesday through the overnight hours and be over by Wednesday morning.
This is an insignificant weather event, but the timing, on “Christmas Eve Eve,” when there is a bit more traffic than usual and people may still be out shopping, could impact travel plans. In terms of accumulation, expect most areas in Southern New England to receive between a half inch and 2 inches of snow. It’s not out of the question that some isolated areas could see 3 inches. And with the cold ground, this snow will accumulate on the roads, which means some plows will have to go out.
Higher elevations will see higher totals up north.
If an area of low pressure gathers a little more strength, the snow totals could shift to 2 to 4 inches over extreme northern Massachusetts and into Northern New England. Still not a big storm.
Christmas Eve: Sunny, in the 30s
For Christmas Eve, skies will be mostly sunny and temperatures will be in the 30s. There won’t be much melting of the snow cover. I think even areas that receive an inch should hold onto the snow through Christmas Day, with temperatures approaching the mid-30s to near 40 in the afternoon. It definitely will look more like a winter scene rather than an autumnal one.
Friday: Another storm?
The rest of the week looks seasonable. There will be a battle between warm air to the south and colder air in the north sometime toward the weekend, and this could spark more precipitation. We’ll keep an eye on this for you.
Monday breakdown
Greater Boston: Look for sunshine on Monday with temperatures in the low to mid-30s, along with gusty winds. Snow breaks out across the area after the morning commute Tuesday.
Central/Western Mass.: With sunshine, temperatures will only be in the low 30s Monday afternoon with a gusty wind. Snow arrives late morning to early afternoon on Tuesday.
Southeastern Mass.: Look for sunshine and blustery conditions on Monday with highs in the mid-30s. Clouds yield to snow Tuesday afternoon, which could change to rain at night.
Cape and Islands: Monday features sunshine with temperatures in the 30s and a noticeable wind chill. Snow and rain arrive on Tuesday afternoon, with light accumulation possible.
Rhode Island: Look for sunny skies with temperatures in the 30s on Monday. The wind will be out of the northwest. Snow and rain arrive Tuesday afternoon.
New Hampshire: A cold and blustery Monday features temperatures in the 20s to near freezing. Snow arrives Tuesday afternoon and evening with several inches likely.
