Snow Threat Strong Across MA To End Weekend: Latest Forecast

MASSACHUSETTS — Those hoping that this week's rain and temperatures approaching 50 degrees were a sign that the snow shovels could be put away for the time being may have to get them back out in time for the new work week with an increasing probability of plowable snow forecast for late Sunday night into Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS said on Thursday that much of eastern Massachusetts has at least a 40 percent chance of 3 or more inches of snow with the weekend storm that is likely to start as rain Sunday afternoon and turn to frozen precipitation from north to south overnight.

While the greatest chances of plowable snow are in Worcester and the hills of north central Massachusetts, the NWS has a 50 percent chance of a decent snowfall in the Merrimack Valley, a 45 percent chance in Greater Boston, and a 41 percent chance ranging down to the South Shore.

Cape Cod and the islands have the least chance of seeing significant snow with rain holding on the longest into Monday morning and chances of 3 inches of snow closer to 20 percent.

It will be wet instead of white ahead of the storm with a relatively spring-like Thursday with temperatures near 50 across much of the state ending with more rain that could be heavy at times overnight.

Hopes for sun on Friday have dimmed with colder air holding strong and cloudy conditions persisting with highs in the lower 40s.

Another bout of rain may move across the region Friday night into early Saturday before a gray and brisk day with highs near 40.

Sunday will start with more rain in the afternoon and temperatures in the 40s before they fall back into the 30s and 20s with the arrival of heavier precipitation Sunday night.

The storm will end with snow for most of the region Monday morning as the wind shifts around from the northwest up to 33 miles per hour and temperatures to start the work week struggling to get out of the 20s.

That appears to set the stage for a colder and quieter week ahead with plenty of sunshine and high temperatures in the 30s each day.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)