Chance Of Plowable Snow In MA During 'Significant' Nor'easter This Week

MASSACHUSETTS — There are plenty of caveats with this forecast, but it's possible some parts of Massachusetts will see plowable snow — perhaps 6 inches on more — during a nor'easter set to start Wednesday.

At this point, the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday is predicting some nasty, wet weather for the entire state. There will be plenty of rain, and likely a wintry mix at lower elevations. Whatever form the precipitation takes, the storm will likely have "potentially significant impacts" across the region, according to the National Weather Service.

"Impacts may include heavy rainfall, strong winds, coastal flooding, and heavy wet snowfall for the higher elevations of the Worcester hills and the Berkshires. The most concerning aspect of this storm is the potential for 6+ inches of heavy wet snow that combined with strong winds could support downed power lines and power outages," the Monday NWS forecast said.

The more likely threat: rain. Up to three inches could fall between Tuesday night and Thursday, again soaking ground that has been saturated during several recent heavy rainstorms.

Some residents may have seen online forecasts predicting more than a foot of snow during the storm, but that's almost certainly not going to happen.

"If you are wondering why some of your smartphones are showing a foot of snow Thursday, it is because they just take raw model data and push it out. It is worthless," GBH meteorologist Dave Epstein said in a tweet Sunday night.

Snowfall at lower elevations will depend on how cold it will be during the snow.

"Depending on the storm track, a dusting to an inch or two may be possible for the lower elevations along and west of the I-95 corridor on unpaved surfaces," the weather service said Monday.