Massachusetts Winter Weather 2017 Forecast: Cold Returns, But How About Snow?

You probably don't need a degree in long-range weather forecasting to come to a similar conclusion as AccuWeather's recent prediction for Massachusetts: It's going to be cold, icy, and snowy. But it's not always quite that simple, and we in the Bay State know that the difference between a slightly below-average snow season can differ greatly from a slightly above-average snow season.

So we turn to AccuWeather's long-range winter forecast, released a couple days ago. The weather is of course expected to be chilly, but even more so when compared to last year's at times mild season. The forecast is calling for January to bring the season's coldest air.

This is expected to be an "above-normal" snow season, AccuWeather said. As hazy as long-range forecasts can be, this lines up with the recent Farmers' Almanac winter forecast. That forecast also called for chillier temperatures than last year and "snowier-than-normal" conditions.

Bottom line: Don't be the home caught without your shovels or snowblowers ready this winter. You've been warned.

"Areas away from the I-95 corridor have a better chance at a big snowfall," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said, noting that New York City and Boston may be the exceptions. Early predictions for both cities call for at least 6 inches more than the average snowfall.

This might come as particularly off-putting news as New England heated up this week and will remain much warmer than average through the end of October.

"We foresee no sustained cooling over the eastern half of the nation for the next two weeks," Pastelok said. Unfortunately, this also leaves the window open for more tropical activity.

AP Photo/David Zalubowski