Wintry precipitation is gradually overspreading Western and Central Mass late this morning. I think that it'll probably be snowing everywhere across the region by about midday with sleet mixing in already across areas south of the Mass Pike.
Here are my latest thoughts on this storm for this afternoon & tonight: North of Route 9, The Far Upper Pioneer Valley & The Berkshires: Snow is expected throughout this afternoon. A change to sleet looks to occur this evening across areas near and south of Route 2 with areas north of Route 2 remaining as all snow throughout tonight.
The snow and sleet mixture is expected to come to an end around sunrise Sunday morning.
The highest snow totals of around 3 inches or so are likely to occur north of Route 2, while areas along and south of Route 2, but north of Route 9 end up with around 2 inches of snow and about one half of an inch of sleet.
Near & South Of Route 9 & The Lower Pioneer Valley: Snow is expected for a while early this afternoon, although I think that it may start out more as sleet than snow across areas south of the Mass Pike and across the lower Pioneer Valley.
A change to sleet across all areas near and south of Route 9 is expected to occur by mid-afternoon with some freezing rain occurring by late afternoon across the far lower Pioneer Valley and along I-84.
By this evening, it looks likely that a change to freezing rain will occur in the Worcester Hills and the Hilltowns of Western Mass while a change to just rain looks likely in the lower Pioneer Valley and across areas near and south of the Mass Pike. This very messy mixture of precipitation is expected to continue through the rest of the night before ending around sunrise Sunday morning.
Sleet and ice accumulations look to be a bigger concern over snow accumulations near and south of Route 9.
That said, snow amounts of around one inch looks likely near and south of Route 9 with around 1 inch of sleet and up to one tenth of an inch of ice expected.
The exception to this will be across the far lower Pioneer Valley and south of the Mass Pike where a dusting at most of snow looks likely. In addition, up to one inch of sleet and up to one tenth of an inch of ice accumulation is expected.
If you have plans for this afternoon and especially tonight, be aware that some roads could be quite slick, especially in the hills. Areas like the Mass Pike, Route 20 and I-84 will likely be wet. It's the roads as you travel up into the Brookfields, Ware and Warren that I think things may get icy after sunset tonight.