Weather
Winter Weekend Storm Set To Pack Snowy, Icy, Messy Punch Across MA
After a treacherous overnight for some parts of the state, a more substantial snow and slop event could be on the way Saturday into Sunday.
MASSACHUSETTS — The final in a weeklong series of winter storms could be the longest and messiest yet across Massachusetts as snow develops Saturday afternoon, transitions to an extended duration of sleet and ice overnight, before turning to rain for many on Sunday, and then ends as more snow and freezing slush Sunday night.
Some parts of the state endured a snow-slicked and slippery overnight Wednesday into Thursday with 2 to 3 inches of snow covered with lingering freezing rain during the morning commute —causing school delays and crashes.
After a warmer and wet Thursday, and sharply colder Friday, the stage is set for the next in a parade of storms Saturday with snow arriving across the state after 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Find out what's happening in Across Massachusettsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for parts of Middlesex County and all of Worcester County from 7 p.m. on Thursday through 1 p.m. on Friday where there is the best chance of seeing wind gusts of 50+ mph.
Saturday night is when it gets tricky as heavier precipitation moves in — changing to sleet and then rain along the coast with a prolonged stretch of snow and ice north and west of Boston possible. The NWS is forecasting between 2 and 4 inches for Greater Boston with up to 6 inches or more possible across interior sections of the state.
Find out what's happening in Across Massachusettsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
This is tracking as a much longer-duration storm than those in the previous stretch with some icy mix continuing into Sunday north and west of Boston, and New Hampshire, with rain along the coast as temperatures rise into the 40s.
Rain could turn back to ice and snow Sunday night as temperatures slip back into the 20s and wind gusts out of the west at up to 30 mph.
Presidents Day and the beginning of next week are shaping up to be cold and blustery with highs in the 20s for the start of school vacation.
(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.)
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