New England’s next snowstorm arrived overnight Friday and will last through much of Saturday as a quick-moving clipper pushes into the region from the west. Quick refresher: A clipper system refers to a storm originating from south-central Canada, which typically moves swiftly through the region and often lacks the moisture for memorable snow totals. The name “clipper” comes from 19th-century speedy sailing vessels.
There is no way we’ll be seeing the type of snow that fell two weeks ago, but you may need to break out the shovel with 3 to 6 inches possible across Greater Boston, the north and south shores, and spilling south to the Cape and north along the coast to Maine.
With the atmosphere very cold, we can expect higher snow ratios due to the limited moisture in the air, meaning light and fluffy snow will accumulate relatively easily.
Coastal Southern New England may actually end up with the higher end of this total, including Boston and along the north shore. As the main front passes, a secondary area of low pressure is likely to form over the ocean to our southeast. That means moisture will funnel back into the region Saturday morning and produce scattered ocean-enhanced snow showers that can last through the afternoon hours. There may also be a couple of snow squalls, too. So be careful if you’re on the roads early Saturday.
Most of the storm will be over by mid-afternoon Saturday, with varying snow totals across Southern New England, depending on where some of the bands light up. Check out the snow map below to find out what you can expect in your neighborhood.
But keep in mind this storm isn’t just about snow. Arctic air will pour into the region behind the storm and will ramp up wind speeds Friday night, while the bitter cold settles in.
This will set up winds of 20 and 40 mph late Saturday night through the first half of Sunday. This will make icy cold temperatures plunge to the negatives across most of Southern New England, including Boston, from Saturday evening through mid-morning Sunday. Wind chills will reach the negative 10s to 20s.
So yes, you’ll need to break out the shovel, but most importantly, bundle up Saturday night and Sunday!
A clipper storm will bring some accumulating snow and strong winds to New England Friday into Saturday.Boston GlobeA secondary low will rotate moisture into the New England coast, supporting additional snow across the Southern New England coast.Boston GlobeSnow showers will last through much of Saturday across Coastal Southern New England.Boston GlobeUpdated forecast snow totals for overnight Friday and Saturday.Boston GlobeWinter weather alerts are in place for portions of New England throughout Saturday.Boston GlobeExtreme cold alerts are in place for Central and Western New England for Saturday night through Sunday morning.Boston GlobeSaturday air temperatures will dip to near zero by 8 p.m.Boston GlobeWind gusts may range from 20 and 50 mph as the strong front passes through the region.Boston GlobeWind chills will drop dramatically on Saturday evening as a front passes.Boston GlobeWind chills across New England on early Sunday morning.Boston GlobeWind gusts will range between 20 and 40 mph from late Saturday through the first half of Sunday.Boston GlobeSunday morning air temperatures, not wind chills, will be in the negatives across much of Massachusetts.Boston Globe
Ken Mahan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.
