First Winter Snow In MA: How Much Can You Expect, Timeline

MASSACHUSETTS — The first significant snowstorm of the season is set to hit parts of Massachusetts this week with up to 6 inches forecast for parts of the state Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

While flakes could be in the air mixed with rain in Greater Boston and along the North Shore and South Shore, inland areas are the ones that might require winter boots, shovels and even plows for the Thursday morning commute.

The National Weather Service is predicting little to no accumulation inside Route 128 and for a coating up to an inch of snow in the 495 region.

It is when you get north and west of that where the totals start to pile up.

The latest NWS forecast is calling for 2 to 3 inches in the higher elevations of the Worcester of Fitchburg areas with a jackpot of 4 to 6 inches expected in far northern Worcester County in the areas of Princeton, Winchedon and Athol out to Greenfield along Route 2.

The timing of the storm should spare most Wednesday night activities with snow starting around 11 p.m. and turning to rain in Greater Boston in the early morning hours. By 5 a.m., any snow should turn to rain in MetroWest and the Merrimack Valley.

Rain and snow inland will continue Thursday morning until about noon.

It will turn a bit warmer and much windier after the storm with a high of 43 degrees and a strong southwest wind gusting to 28 mph.

The winter feel will continue with a reinforcing shot of cold air heading into the weekend with a high of 33 degrees Friday, 36 degrees Saturday and 39 on Sunday before warmer air is likely to follow at the beginning of next week with highs back in the 50s.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)