A stubborn shot of late-season chill is crashing weekend plans across New England, making it feel more like early spring, or even a touch of winter in a few spots. Boston is on track for a stretch of chilly, windswept rain from Friday night into Saturday, while the region’s tallest peaks could trade raindrops for snowflakes. Gusty winds will make it feel even colder, especially along exposed coastlines and higher terrain.
WBZ-TV meteorologists Jacob Wycoff and Terry Eliasen say the cold air will hang around long enough for snow to develop well above the valleys. They told CBS Boston that summits such as Mount Washington and Sugarloaf could see anything from a coating to a few inches, with isolated pockets potentially reaching 3–6 inches above roughly 4,000–5,000 feet.
The National Weather Service office in Boston/Norton expects unsettled conditions from Friday into the middle of next week, with the first batch of rain moving in late Friday into Saturday, according to its Area Forecast Discussion. Forecasters are also flagging gusty winds and choppy coastal waters that could make outdoor and marine plans a bit of a headache.
What an Omega Block Means
An “Omega block” is a jet-stream pattern where the flow bulges into a big ridge sandwiched between two troughs, which slows weather systems that normally race from west to east and sets up starkly different conditions across the country. Weather.com describes the pattern as one that can produce slow moving storm systems and an upside down temperature setup, while FOX Weather notes that when a low stalls near the Northeast, the region can get locked into cool, gloomy and damp conditions.
What To Expect Locally
For Boston, it is a classic raw weekend. Daytime highs are expected to linger in the low to mid 50s, and brisk winds will make it feel even cooler, the Boston Globe reports. Inland and mountain communities should plan on wet, windy travel, with snow mixing in above the treeline from Friday night into Saturday. The more notable accumulations are expected to stay confined to the highest summits.
Boaters and coastal residents are urged to keep tabs on the latest forecasts for strong gusts and choppy seas, and anyone with plans in the higher country may want to build some flexibility into their schedule, per the National Weather Service. Checking updated local advisories before heading out this weekend could save you from a cold, soggy surprise.
