Weather Trending Colder, 'Vigorous Coastal Storm' Tracking Up the Coast

It looks like our long awaited pattern change is about to take place, Jim Arnold informed us. 

Arnold is weather specialist working with the Shrewsbury Emergency Management Agency, the town of Princeton and the Worcester Emergency Communications and Emergency Management Agency.

"We will be trending colder, but not to extreme values over the next few days," said Arnold. "In addition, over the next few days we are likely to see a couple small, nuisance type disturbances sandwiched around a potentially strong coastal storm, impact our area with a variety of winter type precipitation. The first of these will bring some light, nuisance value snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain to central Massachusetts, beginning during the morning hours and continuing into the evening. This could be fun and games for the Patriots game Sunday night, as it will be pretty cold and some light precipitation could be falling."

The batch of precipitation "should" move away, continued Arnold, leaving Monday morning cloudy and cold with some possible flurries. More interestingly, there is the potential for a vigorous coastal storm tracking up the coast, and it could reach this area by late Monday or Tuesday.

"Everything seems to be in place for this and the only thing left to happen is for everything to phase into the disturbance," said Arnold. "Phasing looks good to happen, but it is not a sure thing this far out. I am looking for moderate to heavy snow to develop Monday night and continue into Tuesday. A smaller, nuisance type disturbance will follow and give us a bit of wintry precipitation likely though Wednesday."

Throughout the next week or so, temperatures should remain in the high 20s to mid 30s, and wind should not be a factor. Snow, said Arnold, could amount to less than two inches from minor disturbances on either side of the coastal storm. 

"I do expect significant snowfall from the coastal storm, perhaps in the range of 4 to 8 inches at this point.," he added. "This event is a long way off, and a lot can change in the next few days."