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Farewell Flurries Expected as Winter Makes a Late Appearance in the Northeast
Winter was largely a no-show this year with hardly any white stuff on the ground for the vast majority of it, and at least a . But the winter of 2023-2024 is predicted to have some farewell flurries for at least parts of Massachusetts and northern New England into the first day of spring.
A snow storm is set to hit New York, Vermont and parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Tuesday into Wednesday, right as spring is set to begin, according to the National Weather Service.
The vernal equinox, the moment when the sun crosses the Earth’s equator that marks the start of spring, will officially take place this year on Tuesday, March 19, at 11:06 p.m., though the first day of spring is most often observed on March 20.
As for the storm, the places most likely to get snow are mountain peaks and higher elevations, especially in New York and Vermont. The Adirondack mountains in New York could see between 4 to 8 inches of snow, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Main, based in Albany. Some Green Mountain peaks in Vermont are set for the same, with southern Vermont seeing an inch or two of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service.
Massachusetts won’t have nearly so much.
Total accumulation in the Berkshires — the Massachusetts area most likely to get snow Tuesday into Wednesday — is predicted to be in the half-inch to 1 inch range, and it isn’t likely to stay very long, Main said.
“Highs on Wednesday will be in the low 40s,” said Main, whose office covers Berkshire County in Massachusetts. “Anything that falls during the day is going to have a tough time sticking.”
A map released by the National Weather Service Boston office shows that the region of Massachusetts that may see some flakes includes areas west of Interstate-91 and northern Franklin and Worcester counties as far east as Fitchburg. The highest likelihood of snow is in the northwest corner around North Adams. Overall, temperatures have been above average and snowfall has been lighter this winter, , with Boston experiencing average winter temperatures of 4.2 degrees higher than average and snowfall totals at about a quarter of historical averages. Anything two degrees or higher above average is considered major, AccuWeather wrote.
