A wintry mix is set to arrive in the Bay State later this week, but like many times so far this winter, only certain regions of the state are expected to see accumulating snow.
On Thursday afternoon, a frontal system will bring a wintry mix and cold rain before changing over to accumulating snow across the interior late Thursday night into Friday morning — increasing the threat for a potentially slick morning commute.
“As of right now, we feel that the area with the greatest chance for snow accumulation will be across the northern portions of Massachusetts along the southern border of Vermont and New Hampshire,” Torry Gaucher, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald on Tuesday.
“The further south you go, the lower the chances for accumulating snow,” he said.
It’s a “tricky forecast,” Gaucher added, noting how temperatures will be flirting on either side of freezing. The big question that remains is how much cold air will rush in and how quickly.
“Slight variations can cause bigger changes,” he said.
A National Weather Service “Winter Weather Advisory” could be needed for northern Massachusetts if forecasters’ confidence in snow and ice continues to increase.
Boston late in the day on Friday could see some snow showers, but meteorologists don’t expect it to stick in the city.
“It unfortunately looks like one of these events we’ve seen time and time again so far this winter, where the northern areas get some snow and the coastal areas stay all rain,” Gaucher said. “It has not been great for snow lovers around here.”
The city has recorded 4.9 inches of snow so far this winter, which is 11.2 inches below normal for this time of the year.
“It’s good to remind folks that winter started only four weeks ago, and that there are many more weeks of winter to go through,” he added. “Sometimes just one storm will push us back on track to a normal snow amount for the season.”
In late January last year, a monster storm dumped feet of snow across the region.
