2/28/12 Snow is on the way - for some.

Another winter storm is taking aim at New England again during the next 48 hours. And yet again the following factors will come into play.

• Location 
• Warm Air Intrusion 
• Snow/Sleet/Rain Mix
• Solar Radiation 

First lets look at the total snowfall map...

This map shows the total snowfall forecast for Southern New England thru Friday morning. I would tend to go with the lower amounts and consider some areas may see an initial accumulation but will be limited by sleet and rainfall.

Location -  Areas closest to the coast will see the least amount of snowfall, which also includes Boston the Cape and the South Coast. Enough warm air will work in to the surface from the ocean to change the snow to rainfall or at least a mix.

Warm Air Intrusion - There is not a lot of cold air to work with with this storm, as the coldest air is filtering in from Canada to the East. As the low gets stronger, the flow of air will be from the south and off the ocean so a mix of rain, snow and sleet will move in later on Wednesday. This will limit snowfall amounts.


Rain/Snow Mix - As stated above, this will likely move in and help melt any snowfall that falls, so even if 1-3 inches of snow falls, the rain will likely melt most of the snow, so any areas that see a high amount at first will see it shrink.


Solar Radiation - As we approach March, the sun's rays are getting quite strong and even with cloud cover, the radiation on the roadways and non-snow covered surfaces will help warm the ground and limit snow fall.

Boston is under the Winter Storm Watch for the possibility of snow, sleet and icy conditions. Further inland it is primarily for snows.

Note: If you live in an area that currently has snow on the ground or are well removed from the coast (NH-VT-Western MA) the likely hood of a higher snow amount is greater. 

The suns rays now are similar to  that of Early October!!