WINTER WEATHER UPDATE: LATEST MODEL RUNS CONTINUE MOVING STORM TRACK SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTH…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ISSUED FOR THE ENTIRE STATE…LONG DURATION LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL NOW EXPECTED THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON…

The latest GFS and NAM models continue to track tomorrows storm farther south and also spread out the duration of the snowfall to 36 hours.  The combined effect of these changes brings in lighter snow for a longer duration. The following forecast is based on a blend of the GFS and NAM models:

Thursday Morning: Light snow is forecast to spread into the state from west to east between 8:00 – 11:00 AM.  The light snow may become steady by noon with temperatures rising from the low 20’s at daybreak to the upper 20’s by noon.  The impact on the morning rush hour is currently expected to be minor for most of the state with a very thin snow cover on most roads.

Thursday Afternoon: Light to moderate snow is expected with snowfall rates up to ½” per hour and highs in the upper 20’s.  A minor to moderate impact is expected on the afternoon rush hour (especially near the coast) with an inch or two of snow on some roads.  Light northeast winds are forecast to gust to 15 MPH at times.  

Thursday Night: The snow may taper down for a few hours in the evening before becoming more steady again overnight. Low temperatures are forecast to hold in the upper 20’s with light northeast winds gusting to 15 MPH at times.

Friday: Light snow is expected during most of the day. A minor impact is currently expected for both the morning and afternoon rush hours with a thin snow cover especially on the less traveled roads.

Total Snowfall is currently forecast to range from 4” – 8” across most of the state with 3” – 4” near the MA border.

The next update will be sent out at 6:00 AM Thursday morning.