For Tonight: A clear to partly cloudy night is expected as we wait for the next storm system that is now located over the lower Mississippi Valley. Low temperatures will be between 20 and 25 Degrees. Winds will be West at 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph.
Snow, Then Ice & Rain Expected From Midday Wednesday Afternoon Until Sunrise Thursday Morning: An area of low pressure is expected to track northeastward from the lower Mississippi Valley reaching the eastern Great Lakes region by Wednesday afternoon. It appears that this low pressure system will redevelop over southern New England late Wednesday night and head for Maine during the day on Thursday.
This next storm system is expected to bring an initial round of accumulating snow during Wednesday afternoon into early Wednesday evening that’ll change to freezing rain and sleet and then rain during Wednesday evening. Rain then continues through the overnight hours of Wednesday night before ending around sunrise Thursday morning.
It appears that snow will develop between 12 and 2 pm Wednesday afternoon across the entire area. The snow is then expected to continue throughout the remaining part of Wednesday afternoon into the early evening hours of Wednesday.
It appears that there will be a period where the snow falls at a moderate to even heavy rate of intensity starting around 6 pm or so and then continuing through the evening hours of Wednesday.
The Wednesday afternoon commute home is going to be very messy and quite slow going – so be prepared for slick and slippery conditions throughout Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening.
The changeover line from snow to ice and then rain is likely to push northward across the region during Wednesday evening. Current indications are that the snow will change to sleet and freezing rain and then rain across the lower Pioneer Valley of Western Mass and across areas near and south of the Mass Pike by about 9-10 pm. The changeover line is then expected to reach the upper Pioneer Valley of Western Mass and the Route 2 corridor by midnight Wednesday night.
Rain is then expected to continue across the entire area during the after midnight hours of Wednesday night before it rapidly ends around sunrise Thursday morning.
Snow amounts Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday evening are expected to range from 2 to 4 inches across areas near and south of Route 9, including the entire length of the Mass Pike east of West Springfield. Also, the entire Pioneer Valley of Western Mass will likely receive 2 to 4 inches of snow accumulation. Further north, 4 to 6 inches of snow accumulation is expected across areas north of Route 9, including the Worcester Metro, the Worcester Hills west of I-190, all of I-290 and the Route 2 corridor. As for the Berkshires, it appears that 4 to 8 inches of snow accumulation is expected.
As for ice amounts Wednesday evening, this is something that’ll need to be really watched in the Worcester Hills west of I-190 where the colder air may get trapped again and also across the Berkshires. At this point, it appears that a very light glaze of ice that really doesn’t accumulate much is expected across the Pioneer Valley of Western Mass and also across areas near and south of the Mass Pike. For areas north of the Mass Pike, especially areas near and west of I-190 and along the Route 2 corridor, around one tenth of an inch of ice is expected during Wednesday evening. Again, the length of the freezing rain is something that’ll need to be watched closely as because if the colder air hangs on longer, it could lead to a more prolonged freezing rain event. It’s not expected at this time, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Temperatures on Wednesday will be between 30 and 35 Degrees. Temperatures on Wednesday night will be around 30 Degrees during the evening and then rise to the upper 30s to low 40s after midnight. Temperatures on Thursday will be near 45 Degrees during the morning and then fall to the upper 30s to low 40s during the afternoon. Winds on Wednesday will be Southeast at 5 to 10 mph. Winds on Wednesday night will be Southeast at 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Winds on Thursday will be South at 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.
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