The Big One

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Well, it's lock and load folks. The finer points of the forecast are coming together, but I will add that we still don't have the entire picture of this evolving event Friday and Saturday.

But it's certainly enough to put down some serious numbers:

We're talking about a memorable storm here - possibly epic for Eastern Mass. Last night, we were looking for that missing ingredient to tip the scales at 2 feet, and this morning it showed up on the weather maps. That key feature is called a cut-off low. When the storm deepens east of Cape Cod, it will actually cut off from the jetstream and temporarily stall - for up to 6 hours. This is when we'll get hammered with snow and wind. Snowfall rates could approach 2-4 inches per hour if thunderstorms get going. Yes, I said thunderstorms. These are reserved for only the most intense storms, and this one fits the bill.

Mix and rain are almost side issues with this storm. Certainly they will cut down on snow totals as reflected in the above amounts, but eventually everyone will be snow when the storm stalls and the cold smacks back into Mass. on the north wind.

Timeline:

First flakes in the 7am-10am timeframe Friday morning.

Steadier snow throughout the morning and afternoon. Roads still passable and navigated with caution.

Heavier snow late afternoon/evening.

Midnight Friday night into Saturday AM: go time. Roads difficult to maneuver or impassable. Plows will have a hard time keeping up.

Storm wraps by late AM/early PM Saturday, but flakes may still be flying into the evening!

See what I mean about the changeover issue not being a big deal? In this long duration storm, the first part of the event (with the changeover) will be obscured by the heavy hand of white outs and near blizzard conditions at the height of the storm.

There's much more ahead. Stay with 7News and follow us on Twitter for the latest updates:

@pbouchardon7

@jreineron7

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Pete

Storms, Heat, Sea Breezes

Posted by Pete Bouchard

What a day! Breakneck temperature swings, thunder, tornadoes in Western Mass....and we're still in late May!

More Warmth

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

You have another warm & humid day with many towns repeating yesterday's weather. That means we start with clouds & fog for a bit before hazy sun gets going. That hazy sunshine will boost temps up into the low 80s by early to mid afternoon across much of the region. At the same time a cool front will begin dropping out of Maine (backdoor front) which will quickly send temps from the 70s/80s down into the 50s/60s by late afternoon & evening. Also, when this front rams into the warmth & humidity it will spark a few showers & thunderstorms during the afternoon.

Summ-ah!

Posted by Pete Bouchard

With the snap of the fingers we were thrown into summer this afternoon. Heat, humidity, A/C and shorts - with a hazy sun to boot. But with the sea breeze knocking back the temperatures (and bringing in a round of downpours this evening), there are changes afoot.

Feet First

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

Right into summer. Warm & humid weather expected for much of the week. Good?.....Well, keep in mind that warmth & humidity are the 2 key ingredients for thunderstorms. The last being something to *lift* that warm/humid air. Usually a front is a good device to do such that. Today, we will have a cool front approach New England very late in the day & evening. That may lead to an isolated storm or two after 4pm but most towns just have a fair amount of clouds, warmth & humidity. Temps will climb to near 80 by afternoon.