Weather

Here’s David Epstein’s snow forecast for Wednesday

"I think the heaviest snowfall will come down between about 2 and 6 p.m."

By Dave Epestein, The Boston Globe

updated on March 9, 2022

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Although we have had some spring-feeling weather the past few days, it’s soon going to look like winter again. A storm system that’s not very intense is going to move south of New England later today and pass into the Atlantic overnight. This track will keep us on the colder side of the storm and allow precipitation to spread out across the area this afternoon.

How much snow?

During March and April, it’s very difficult for snow to accumulate on the pavement. This is because there’s residual heat in the asphalt that tends to melt the snow as it falls. It would have to be several degrees below freezing before we would really see a lot of accumulation on the roadways, but since the snow will be falling with temperatures in the 30s today, I’m expecting 1 to 3 inches, with less on the roads. It’s not out of the question that a few spots in hillier terrain southwest of Boston and into parts of Rhode Island and Connecticut reach 4 inches.

The snow will be heaviest in the afternoon and wind down at night

The snow will begin in the late morning or early afternoon, moving up from the south, and then end between 7 and 9 p.m. from west to east. I think the heaviest snowfall will come down between about 2 and 6 p.m. This is when travel will be most impacted.

Late tonight, skies will clear and temperatures will fall back down just below freezing. When you get up Thursday morning, check your driveways and walkways, as there could be some residual ice. Once the sun angle gets higher on Thursday, the snow will begin to quickly disappear.

I expect by the end of the day, it will once again look like spring and not winter. Temperatures will reach near 50 both Thursday and Friday.

The weekend will be rainy and cold

It’ll be wet on Saturday with a storm system cutting through the heart of New England. It will rain almost all day with temperatures in the 50s. Some areas may receive an inch of rainfall — not enough for flooding, but enough for big puddles. Things will cool off Saturday night, and the rain may actually end as a brief period of snow.

It’ll be cold and blustery on Sunday, as a brief bout of arctic air arrives. Sunday temperatures won’t exceed the low- to mid-30s, and with the wind, it’ll feel like it’s in the teens.

There will be milder weather early next week.

Daylight Saving Time

One last note: Don’t forget to adjust your clocks by one hour before heading to bed Saturday night. We resume daylight saving time and “spring forward” on Sunday.