Forecasters say weekend storm could drop more than 1 foot of snow in some areas

By Martin Finucane and Lauren Dezenski, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent

Todd Gutner has an updated WBZ-TV weather forecast.

National Weather Service forecasters say a storm that is expected to hit Massachusetts this weekend could dump more than a foot of snow in some areas.

Noting that the storm is still three to four days away, the forecasters said there’s a high probability of a “significant coastal storm” but there’s also “high uncertainty” on what type of precipitation will fall — rain or snow — and what locations will be hit hardest.

“Locations that remain all snow have the potential for 1-plus foot of snowfall,” the forecasters said in a discussion posted on the Web.

They warned of possible power outages if heavy, wet snow falls at the same time the state is swept by strong winds.

The storm would bring mixed precipitation on Saturday night as far north as the Massachusetts Turnpike, but the wintry mix or rain could change back to snow Sunday morning and drop accumulating snow Sunday morning and afternoon, the discussion said.

“There is a growing potential for a plowable snow event this weekend,” said meteorologist Bill Simpson. The supercomputer models used to predict the weather “are strongly hinting at something,” he said.

It would be the third weekend in a row that has featured a snowstorm. The storm would follow the Blizzard of 2013 earlier this month and a smaller but still annoying snowstorm last weekend.

David Epstein, Boston.com weather blogger and meteorologist,predicted a plowable snow event over northern and central New England, but said the forecast was uncertain along the coast.

Meanwhile, winds are expected to decrease tonight, with lows settling back into the lower 20s to mid-teens.

Partly sunny skies are expected Thursday, with temperatures in the lower 30s to upper 20s. Seasonable temperatures and dry weather are also expected for Friday and early Saturday.