< Back to front page Text size – +

A frosty forecast for the Bay State

E-mail|Link|Comments () January 28, 2010 06:30 PM

The squalls were passing through the Worcester area at about 5:30 p.m.

By Stefanie Geisler, Globe Correspondent, and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

The snow that whirled around Massachusetts earlier in the day will return again this evening, forecasters said.

With an Arctic cold front approaching eastern New York, snow showers and snow squalls will cross the state from west to east between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., the National Weather Service in Taunton said this afternoon. National Weather Service radar showed the storms moving into Boston's western suburbs shortly before 6 p.m.

The squalls could create local whiteout conditions, sharply reducing visibility, for 30 minutes to an hour, with west winds gusting to 45 miles per hour. As temperatures fall, precipitation on the roads will freeze, so drivers should beware, forecasters said. The total amount of snow this evening could range from a dusting to 2 inches.

The forecasters also warned of strong winds that could bring down small tree branches, saying that west winds tonight will average 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph. Friday is expected to remain windy with the winds dying down later in the day.

Temperatures are expected to drop and, with the wind blowing, it's expected to feel even colder. In Boston, wind chill temperatures will drop to 5 below zero by Friday morning and 10 below on Saturday morning.

"We've had a couple of weeks of not too cold weather, so this may be quite a shock," said Bill Simpson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton. "Definitely bundle up."