Thanks to an epic run of snow in the last 10 days, it’s utter chaos in downtown Boston. While no one is to blame, it takes a lot of patience to get from Point A to Point B. Just this afternoon, I had to make the tough choice to stand in a deep snowbank while I let two ladies navigate a narrow foot path that once was a sidewalk. They were most appreciative, but I wonder how many of us are lending a hand to their fellow man. While Bostonians are known for sticking together in tough times, this seems to be testing that resolve. Yes, it’s that bad – for pedestrians, vehicles and public transportation. The nerves may get even more frayed with more snow in the forecast. Just remember not to shoot the messenger.
So what is this storm on Thursday all about? First off, it’s not a storm unless you live out over the fish (and if you do, I gotta see your crib). Second, it doesn’t look like a hassle compared to what we’ve seen. Special map to the right is what we’re expecting for accumulations. Essentially, this is a front trying to merge with a storm. The merge happens offshore. We’re in the middle and we get a shot of snow from the front, while the Outer Cape is clipped by the storm.
Bitter cold will follow this little shot of snow. Thursday’s temperatures start in the teens and go nowhere fast. We’ll fall to the single digits above and below zero at night.
Then we turn our attention to the storm on the distant horizon. We’re cooking up more snow in the Sunday-Monday time frame. This setup is a familiar to many of us in the weather world. We have a large high pressure system to the north to supply almost limitless cold. Then a storm will crawl along that boundary through Sunday and Monday. It’s a feedback storm: onshore winds provide the moisture, low pressure provides the lift. It’s a setup for significant accumulations….so steel yourselves for more snow.
See you in the snowbanks.
Pete