Massachusetts Long-Range Weather Forecast: Winter Makes Final Push

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, which scientifically means only one thing and one thing only: Six more weeks of winter.

So we look at February, when winter usually makes its last big push. But it could be packing less of a punch this time around.

Snow is expected to hit Massachusetts in the coming weeks, but rainstorms are in the forecast, too, as temperatures are expected to vary widely and struggle to remain below freezing. And a storm that could arrive in the form of more rain could be coming next week.

The reason? The weather is supposed to be warmer than usual, according to AccuWeather, as a jet stream traps cold air in Canada.

Here are some of the events, according to AccuWeather and the National Weather Service, that you should look out for in the next couple of weeks:

• Super Bowl Sunday might see a bit of snow now up here (none expected in the dome in Houston!)
• A lot of precipitation could come next week - some Tuesday flurries and rain Wednesday and Thursday as temperatures rise.
• Large swings in temperature are expected from one day to the next at times.
• The truly bitter cold looks to be behind us.

"Since the storm this weekend will remove much of the cold air from the eastern half of the nation, the first big storm that rolls through next week will be a warm storm for many areas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity said in a release.

All in all, it doesn't look like extreme winter weather is in the cards this month.

Here's a look at the (very) extended forecast for the rest of February. Remember that AccuWeather studies trends when coming up with them.

"You can see patterns evolving in the 25-Day Forecast and be able to plan based on these patterns," Margusity said.