Sunday morning’s storm intensified really quickly. The pressure dropped 5 millibars in just 3 hours along the South Coast. The lower the pressure, the stronger the storm. Meteorologists describe a storm that intensifies by 24 millibars in 24 hours as a "bomb." So this one was well on its way in just a few hours Sunday morning. That rapid intensification led to some impressive snowfall rates, some massive snowflakes, and even a few rumbles of thunder. But, that storm is also moving so quickly that by the time I finish writing this, the snow will be tapering off. So I will concentrate on the next one. Yes, there is a next one.
Skies should become at least partly sunny Sunday afternoon. The combination of some sunshine, air temps in the upper 30s, and the still warm ground should allow a lot of the morning snow to melt. However, strong winds will remain a threat all day. Most of the area remains under a High Wind Warning until 7 pm. Wind gusts could reach as high as 60 mph, mainly for the Cape and the Islands late in the day. So, isolated downed trees and power lines will be possible long after the snow stops falling.
Skies might still be clear this evening but clouds eventually take back over. Snow becomes possible once again by dawn and with morning temps in the 20s the snow could easily stick to the roads making the Monday morning commute tricky. The chance for snow continues for most of the area for most of the day. The exception will be the South Coast out to the Cape and the Islands where the snow may mix with or change to rain. That will limit accumulations there. For the rest of us, another 1-4" of snow is expected. That’s in addition to whatever you got on Sunday morning.
Monday’s storm will be taking a very similar path to Sunday’s storm which means some of the areas that got the most snow on Sunday will be the big winners again on Monday. However, this storm will not be as intense. Snowfall rates will be lighter. That combined with the fact that much of the snow will be falling during the day should limit accumulations to grassy areas primarily. Most of the major roadways should be more wet than slick during the day. Since this storm is also not as fast as Sunday’s storm, we will have to keep an eye on the evening commute though. In fact, even as the storm pulls away and the steady snow tapers off, ocean effect snow will remain possible for coastal Plymouth County, the Cape and the Islands through the overnight hours into Tuesday. The good news is that wind speeds will not be nearly as impressive as Sunday.
Temperatures stay well below normal for the first half of the workweek. Record low temps will be possible Wed morning but the numbers finally rebound by Wednesday afternoon. We might actually see above normal temps by Thursday. Don’t get too used to that, however. Early indications are that next weekend will also be quite a bit cooler than normal. I hate to mention it, but its not entirely out of the question that the rain in the forecast for Friday could end as a bit of snow Friday night. Let’s get through Monday’s storm before we start talking about the one after that.
