RI Weather: First 'Major' Snowstorm A Weekend Possibility

First thing's first: This weekend is still several days away, and forecasters are quick to tell inquiring minds that nothing is set in stone that far out. That being said, the first significant snowstorm of the winter could be in the cards for this weekend.

There are two possibilities for snow over the next seven days. The first is later this week - Thursday night into Friday - when at most a couple inches will fall, according to AccuWeather. The National Weather Service agreed that there could be some snow showers late this week.

But the system to keep an eye on is the one that would follow over the weekend, when AccuWeather says a "major storm [is] likely to bury parts of ... Northeast." There are no amounts given, but presumably the shovels would be dusted off.

Forecasters still don't know the track this will end up taking, and the storm could end up being a load of freezing rain and wintry mix or a serious snowfall.

The National Weather Service said this Monday about the potential for a weekend snow storm: "It is still 6 days away and lots of changes can occur. Bottom line is that it is too early to even express a confidence on next weekend."

Patch will update you as the forecast solidifies.

Boston has only had 0.2 inches of snow since Oct. 1. The tail end of winter would need to see a serious dumping of snow for this to be an average snowfall winter.

Whatever ends up happening with the snow this week, expect things to get a bit colder at the end of January into February.

"In the wake of the weekend storm, much colder, Arctic air is projected to plunge southward across the eastern half of the nation," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

Providence-area forecast via NWS

Today - Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Tuesday night - Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph after midnight.

Wednesday - Sunny, with a high near 38. West wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Wednesday night - Mostly clear, with a low around 18. West wind around 8 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Thursday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. North wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.

Thursday night - Snow likely, mainly after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday - Snow likely, possibly mixing with rain after 10am, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Southeast wind around 7 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind around 8 mph.

Saturday - A chance of snow after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 32. North wind around 7 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday night - Snow before 2am, then rain and snow. Low around 25. East wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday - Rain and sleet. High near 41. Southeast wind 7 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday night - Snow, freezing rain, and sleet likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. North wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

M.L.K Day - Partly sunny, with a high near 20. Northwest wind around 14 mph.

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