Nor'easter Expected to Bring Heavy Rain, Wind to Beverly on Tuesday

By Les Masterson

The National Weather Service said there is “high confidence” of a strong coastal storm hit Beverly and most of Massachusetts on Tuesday and Tuesday evening.

The NWS is predicting most of the precipitation will come in the form of heavy rain along the coast, which could cause some urban and poor drainage street flooding.

Wet snow should be confined to Northwest and North Central Massachusetts, but the NWS warns that a small shift in the storm track “could make the difference between a cold rain or two inch per hour snowfall rates.”

The likely storm track “is not favorable for heavy snow near the coast as a strong east to northeast wind draws in milder ocean air and provides mainly rain inside (Route) 495,” WHDH-TV meteorologist Chris Lambert said in his latest blog post. Like the weather service, Lambert said a possibility that the storm trackshifts to the south or east and brings snow closer to the coast is “something to keep an eye on.”

If rain, expect 2-3 inches, Lambert said.

Another issue will be a strong northeast wind. The NWS is predicting gusts of 40 to 55 mph in Eastern Massachusetts, including Beverly. There is also the possibility of some minor coastal flooding and beach erosion during the midday high tide on Tuesday.