Rain expected after evening commute

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Commuters will probably dodge winter weather this afternoon, with temperatures in the upper 30s expected to ensure that any precipitation will be rain. Spotty, light showers now are not predicted to reach the Boston area until 6 or 7 p.m.

"The evening commute might be OK," said Bill Simpson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton. "When [precipitation] does arrive, later than we thought, it should be rain."

Meteorologists had originally predicted a quarter-inch of sleet and freezing rain would begin falling during the evening rush. However, the most current forecast indicates that there will be much less precipitation, and it won't reach the Boston area until later in the evening.

The rain will return Wednesday morning, with temperatures in the upper 40s. Clouds should dissipate by the afternoon and skies remain clear until Thursday, when winter is expected dump the first significant snowfall of the season in Boston.

Flakes will start falling by late morning and could add up to 3 to 6 inches, Simpson said. The flurries will peak in the late afternoon, just in time for the evening rush.

"It will not be nice," Simpson said. "That's almost a guarantee."

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