Boston is rolling out of bed to mostly cloudy skies, pockets of fog and temperatures in the low 30s, sitting near 34°F at Logan Airport on Thursday morning. A coastal system will drag steady rain into the area this afternoon before flipping to sleet and freezing rain late Thursday night into early Friday. A Winter Weather Advisory is posted from 5 p.m. Thursday through noon Friday, so plan on slick patches and a sluggish Friday morning commute.
What To Expect
The early fog should thin by mid-morning, then rain becomes a good bet this afternoon with only light totals expected while temperatures hover in the middle 30s. Later tonight the mix turns uglier, changing to sleet and pockets of freezing rain before winding down Friday afternoon. Along the shoreline, a stiff northeast wind will kick up with gusts around 25 to 30 mph. Forecasters at the National Weather Service Boston/Norton say the heaviest and most impactful precipitation lines up with the late-night hours into the Friday morning drive.
Where It Could Be Worst
The bullseye for icing and sleet sits near and north of Interstate 90 and across higher elevations, especially the southern Worcester Hills. In those spots, sleet could pile up to an inch or two, with isolated glaze ice from a few hundredths of an inch up to around one quarter inch. There is also a low-end chance for a brief burst of plowable snow across northern Massachusetts if temperatures tip just cold enough for all snow. Local officials say the Friday morning commute is the time frame most likely to be hit hardest, according to the National Weather Service Boston/Norton.
Commute And Transit
Drivers should expect a gradual slide from wet to slick roads Thursday evening into early Friday, with bridges, overpasses and untreated side streets icing up first. MBTA riders ought to build in a cushion and keep an eye out for sudden schedule tweaks, sign up for MBTA T-Alerts and confirm service before heading out. If you have to be behind the wheel, leave extra room, cut your speed and go easy on the brakes when you hit slush or ice.
Weekend Preview
High pressure slides back in for the weekend and flips the script, with afternoon highs climbing into the upper 40s Saturday and into the 50s by Sunday. That quick warmup should wipe out most of the light snow and sleet leftovers. The tradeoff is extra runoff, so low-lying spots may see some ponding and sidewalks could turn into soggy obstacle courses as everything melts. For a look at how black ice bit Boston earlier this week, check our prior coverage.
For Thursday night into Friday, a few simple steps help: clear all your car windows, keep an ice scraper and a small stash of sand or salt for steps and walkways, and budget more time for the morning drive. Officials continue to urge caution on the roads Thursday night and Friday morning and say drivers should slow down and give themselves room to maneuver when conditions turn slick.
