Sub-zero temperatures are set to grip Massachusetts this week, with forecasters eyeing an uncertain weekend that could bring a potential Nor’Easter.
Light snow showers in some parts of Massachusetts on Monday evening made for a slippery commute and could lead to refrozen roads on Tuesday morning as temperatures drop into single digits.
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service for snow showers slated to begin Monday afternoon and continue into the early evening in Bristol County, which included Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford.
While the roadways may be icy and slick during the evening, any snowfall totals will be limited to a few tenths of an inch with an inch at most along the coastline, forecasters predicted.
Wet and untreated surfaces will likely freeze over as temperatures are expected to drop overnight into the teens and upper single digits, forecasters said, and there won’t be much wind.
A freezing week
Those chilly temperatures are expected to continue for the rest of the week, with forecasters projecting a dry, windy and cold Tuesday in the low to mid-20s.
Those cold and blustery temperatures are expected to persist through the week, and winds could reach between 25 and 35 mph with gusts in some areas up to 40 mph.
Overnight into Wednesday, higher-terrain areas of the state like the northern Worcester Hills and the Berkshires could see temperatures as low as minus 10 with the windchill, forecasters warned.
“High temperatures may run some 10 degrees below normal and be accompanied by below-zero wind chills for some during the midweek,” Weather Service forecasters said Monday afternoon.
With clear skies forecasted, Wednesday and Thursday are expected to start and end in the single digits and low teens, with daytime temperatures remaining in the low 20s. Temperatures may begin to rise into the 30s on Friday.
Possible storm
And while they’re not certain yet, meteorologists are watching out for a potential Nor’Easter forming this upcoming weekend off the mid-Atlantic coast.
One forecast model is predicting “a strong Nor`Easter Saturday night into Sunday,” while another predicted the storm would move out to sea, Weather Service forecasters said.
For now, meteorologists lean toward the storm missing southern New England — but said things could change as weather patterns move around the country, and will have a better idea later in the week.
“While confidence in any snow for the region next weekend is low at this time, a lot can change in 5 to 6 days,” forecasters said.
