How Much Snow Will We See This Winter In MA? See 4 Predictions

MASSACHUSETTS — How cold and snowy will the upcoming winter be in Massachusetts?

While winter doesn't officially start until Dec. 21, meteorological winter begins this weekend —on Dec. 1.

Several forecasters have put forward their predictions for how snowy the season will be here in the Bay State. Here's a look at what they're saying:

AccuWeather

Snow shovels will be needed across the Northeast and Midwest this winter, although they could gather dust during part of the season as the weather patterns play tug-of-war between mild and rainy, and cold and snowy, the weather service said.

Most areas in the Northeast will receive more snow this season than last winter. An uptick in snow is also likely across parts of the Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

However, the snow will be broken up by pauses in the cold, wintry weather, especially in the middle part of the season, as milder air from the Pacific flows across the country.

New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are a sampling of the cities predicted to have more snow than last winter, in part due to more snow opportunities in February.

Old Farmer's Almanac

In the Northeast—Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and eastern New York—winter is always cold and snowy. But the Almanac is predicting a gentler-than-normal season that's not so rough and tough.

There will be plenty of snow—however, precipitation and snowfall will be slightly below normal (1 to 1.5% below average). The snowiest periods will be in early December, mid-February, and early March.

Winter temperatures will be above average overall. January is expected to be 4 degrees fahrenheit above average in the far north of this region. The coldest periods will be mid-December and late February.

The Farmers' Almanac

Winter in New England and the Northeast will be stormy with above-normal amounts of winter precipitation and near-to-above-normal temperatures.

Snow will be most prevalent over the interior and mountainous terrains, while sleet and rain will be more common near the coast, especially near and along the I-95 corridor.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA predicts above-normal temperatures throughout the winter season for the entire Northeast.

The latest estimate released on Nov. 21 suggests a 40 to 50 percent chance that temperatures will overall be warmer than usual.

Precipitation levels were forecast to have an equal chance of being above normal or below normal from December through February.