By James M. Arnold, Weather Specialist
Region – Following a beautiful mid winter day today,?clouds will increase later tonight.? Skies will become overcast by about dawn tomorrow, and?tonight will be nowhere as cold as last night was.? Low temperatures will?go no lower than?the low to mid 20s overnight, some 35 to 45 degrees warmer than last night!? My low temperature last night was -9.1 degrees, which was relatively warm when compared to the usual cold spots to our north and west, some of which reached -25 degrees!
Tomorrow will be cloudy with some rain moving in by early afternoon, and it?could begin as a brief?period of freezing rain.? How long it lasts depends on how fast the current cold air gets scoured out and whether any cold air damming develops,?but right now I don’t expect a major freezing rain event.? With that said, because paved surfaces have been so cold, rain could form black ice on them for a short period of time even if the air temperature?is above the freezing mark.? Nevertheless, precipitation should become all rain by late tomorrow afternoon and continue throughout Sunday night.? On Monday our temperatures could be well up in the 50s, but?another arctic front will be approaching us from the west at the same time.??This front?threatens to change the last of?our rain to a brief period of snow as precipitation ends?during the?mid afternoon hours.? Monday night will see clearing, breezy?and very cold, with wind chill values reaching -15 degrees as air temperatures sink to near zero.? Very cold weather will continue Tuesday and Tuesday night before moderating during the mid week period.
James M. Arnold is a Weather Specialist working with Shrewsbury Emergency Management Agency; town of Princeton; Worcester Emergency Communications and Emergency Management Agency; Southborough Emergency Management Agency; town of Grafton and Wachusett Mountain Ski Area