BOSTON — One of the biggest mistakes we New Englanders make is expecting March to be nice or April to be warm. It makes the relentless wind and stubborn cold all the more disappointing.
But there is reason for optimism once we get past Saturday’s winter weather.
Rain will start overnight Friday into Saturday and turn into snow in the morning. It’ll be messy, but the total accumulation across Central and Eastern Massachusetts isn’t expected to be more than an inch. Several inches are expected in the western part of the state.
Find out what’s happening in Bostonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The biggest threat Saturday will be strong winds, which will be see 40-60 miles-per-hour gusts Saturday night into Sunday. The National Weather Service called a hazardous weather outlook due to the potentially dangerous winds, “which could result in minor wind damage such as some downed branches or wires.”
Now for the good news.
Find out what’s happening in Bostonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
After a cold Sunday, high temperatures early next week rebound to the low 50s. Later in the week they’ll get to the low 60s. And even low temperatures aren’t forecast to hit anywhere near freezing in at least the next two weeks, perhaps indicating Saturday’s storm is winter’s last real gasp.
Boston-area forecast via National Weather Service
Friday night — A chance of rain, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday — Rain before 4pm, then a chance of snow. High near 49. East wind 5 to 13 mph becoming west in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday night — Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 21. West wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.
Sunday — Sunny, with a high near 37. West wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Sunday night — Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Monday — Sunny, with a high near 52. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph.
Monday night — Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph.
Tuesday — Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. West wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tuesday night — Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. West wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
The rules of replying:
- Be respectful. This is a space for friendly local discussions. No racist, discriminatory, vulgar or threatening language will be tolerated.
- Be transparent. Use your real name, and back up your claims.
- Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic.
- Review the Patch Community Guidelines.