Boston's First Snow Of Season Takes Aim This Weekend: See Totals In Latest Forecast

MASSACHUSETTS — It is shaping up as a bit of a role reversal from recent winter storms across the Bay State this weekend as a Sunday storm is most likely to bring measurable snow to southern and coastal parts of Massachusetts than the interior sections that have already been hit with more than six inches earlier this month.

Sunday's storm is tracking off the coast, pulling Arctic cold weather deep to the shoreline, lessening the threat of mixing along Cape Cod and the Islands, while sparing far northern and western suburbs another thumping.

• Will MA See A White Christmas? Here’s What The Odds Say

The National Weather Service said that the snow is set to move in overnight Saturday into Sunday morning and linger throughout the day.

Up to 4 inches is possible on the outer Cape and Islands with a widespread 1 to 3 inches predicted for Greater Boston, the North Shore and areas of MetroWest.

Lesser amounts are predicted — a coating to an inch — in the Merrimack Valley and northern Worcester County.

That is good news for those looking to get into the holiday spirit south of the city, but also for those who would love to see a winter wonderland play out for the Sunday NFL showdown between the first-place New England Patriots (11-2) and perennial Super Bowl contender Buffalo Bills (9-4).

The Patriots would wrap up the AFC East title with a victory in the 1 p.m. start.

Friday will be another cold and blustery day throughout the region with highs in the 20s and wind chills in the teens.

Saturday will be a bit warmer with a high of 38 degrees before snow develops overnight.

Monday and Tuesday are shaping up to be sharply colder again before a reprieve from the bitter start to the season is expected later next week when high temperatures could approach 50 degrees on Thursday and Friday.