Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
000
FXUS61 KBOX 250503
AFDBOX
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1203 AM EST Wed Feb 25 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
A quick burst of snow may impact parts of the morning commute
Wednesday. Latest guidance has trended the system
Thursday/Friday further south and away from the region, but we
will continue to monitor this.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
- A quick burst of snow very late tonight and Wednesday morning
will bring 1-3 inches accumulation, then turning milder in the
afternoon.
- Weaker coastal low pressure may bring some unsettled weather
sometime late Thursday into Friday, but has been trending
south away from the region.
- Drier for the weekend before the risk for more unsettled
weather returns to start the week
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Key Message 1...A quick burst of snow very late tonight and
Wednesday morning will 1-3 inches accumulation, then turning
milder in the afternoon.
Brief shortwave ridging this evening will bring a period of
mostly clear skies with some cirrus which will allow for decent
radiational cooling during the first half of the night. Temps
expected to drop into the single numbers and teens before rising
late tonight as southerly winds develop and clouds thicken
ahead of next system. A mid level shortwave moves eastward from
the Gt Lakes late tonight into Wed as a warm front approaches
from the SW. Decent shot of warm advection/isentropic lift
develops which will be enhanced at the nose of a 40 kt low level
jet. This will result in snow developing from west to east late
tonight and Wed morning. This will be a minor QPF event with
snowfall averaging 1-3 inches but much of it could fall in a 3
hour period.
While the higher amounts are favored over the higher elevations, it
is possible there could be a secondary max just inland from the
south coast across RI and SE MA. Interesting set-up with low level
jet overriding an antecedent cold airmass. Given the low level cold
air initially in place, the stronger southerly winds may take a bit
longer to mix down to the surface near the coast which would be
enough for a quick burst of snow with brief 1"/hr rates possible as
suggested by the HREF. This would be from the enhanced forcing for
ascent at the nose of the LLJ. If the southerly winds were quicker
to mix to the surface, this would diminish the risk for this brief
burst of snow near the south coast. Eventually the south winds will
increase and temps will rise above freezing with snow probably
ending as some rain near the coast. This is a quick moving system
and snow will be ending from W to E around midday or early afternoon
but the core of the event will probably be in a 3 hr period. The
snow is expected to develop from 5-8 AM from W to E so it will
impact parts of the morning commute, especially western New Eng
where the snow begins earlier. After the snow ends, temps will rise
through the 30s with highs upper 30s, except holding in the low-mid
30s higher elevations. Gusty S-SW winds will develop near the coast
Wed morning with gusts to 25-30 mph as the low level jet moves
across the region.
Key Message 2...Weaker coastal low pressure may bring some
unsettled weather sometime late Thursday into Friday, but has
been trending south away from the region.
Another coastal low exiting offshore of the Carolina coast may pass
south of the region some time late Thursday into Friday. The latest
guidance has trended the system further south and away from the
region, but a grazing pass along the south coast and Islands is not
out of the question just yet. Ensemble probs have trended down for
measurable snow Friday morning, ranging between 20-40% over the
south coast across the ensemble suites. The GEFS and ECMWF ENS are
the more bullish ensembles on this, with the GEPS only hinting at an
area around the Cape with 30% probs for measurable snow Friday
morning. Will need to continue to monitor, but the latest trends are
favoring lesser impacts if any at all with this system.
Key Message 3...Drier for the weekend before the risk for more
unsettled weather returns to start the week
High pressure builds in briefly before going offshore as the day
goes on Saturday and a front moves through the region over the
weekend, which will end the brief period of possible warmer
temperatures Saturday. Temperatures at 925 mb and 850 mb get just
above 0C for Saturday afternoon in the midst of more southwesterly
flow, which may support high temperatures climbing well into the
40s. A front moves through sometime in the second half of the
weekend, injecting another cold shot of air into the region to start
the week. Some unsettled weather could return for the start of the
week which we will continue to monitor.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...
Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.
06z TAF Update...
Today: High Confidence on snow, Moderate Confidence on CIGS
Snow will move in from west to east this morning, brining a
brief 3-4 hour period of light, possibly moderate snow between
10-18z. low end MVFR/IFR CIGS will lag the snow by about 30 to
60 mins as the boundary layer gradually saturates. Visibility
in snow should be in the 1-2SM range. Cape and Island terminals
likely remain rain with rain lasting later into the afternoon.
Southerly LLJ moves in from west to east with the snow which
will bring LLWS concerns with 35-40 knots at 2kft from the S
while surface winds across the region remain S around 10 knots.
Snow and wind shear concerns end early this afternoon, but
IFR/MVFR CIGS likely linger until low-mid level westerlies can
clear out some of the clouds and low level moisture.
Tonight: Moderate Confidence
CIGS gradually improve to VFR tonight, but before then, there
could widley scattered rain/snow showers from roughly 00z-08z.
Winds aloft increase from the WSW at 35-40 knots, but the
nocturnal inversion will leave surface winds under 10 knots
leading to continued wind shear concerns.
Tomorrow: High Confidence
VFR. Light westerly winds.
KBOS Terminal...Moderate confidence in TAF.
Snow reaches the terminal around 14z with low end MVFR/IFR CIGS
following shortly after. Gusty southerly winds expected later
this morning into the afternoon with gusts up to 25 knots.
KBDL Terminal...Moderate confidence in TAF.
Snow reaches the terminal around 12z with low end MVFR CIGS
following shortly behind. Light southerly winds with LLWS today.
Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/...
Thursday: VFR. Breezy. Slight chance SN.
Thursday Night through Friday: VFR. Slight chance SN.
Friday Night: VFR.
Saturday: VFR. Breezy.
Saturday Night through Sunday: VFR.
&&
.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...
Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.
Small Craft Advisories have been issued for all waters late tonight
into Wed for a period of SW gusts to 25-30 kt as a low level jet
moves across the waters. Winds will diminish Wed evening but 5-8 ft
seas will linger over southern waters through Wed night. Vsbys lower
late tonight into Wed morning in a period of snow and rain.
Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/...
Thursday: Winds less than 25 kt. Local rough seas. Slight
chance of snow.
Thursday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of seas
approaching 5 ft. Chance of snow.
Friday: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of seas approaching 5 ft.
Slight chance of rain, slight chance of snow.
Friday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas locally approaching
5 ft.
Saturday through Sunday: Winds less than 25 kt.
&&
.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...None.
MA...None.
RI...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 7 AM to 4 PM EST Wednesday for
ANZ230.
Small Craft Advisory from 7 AM to 7 PM EST Wednesday for
ANZ231-236-251.
Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM to 10 PM EST Wednesday for
ANZ232>235-237.
Small Craft Advisory from 7 AM to 10 PM EST Wednesday for
ANZ250.
Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM Wednesday to 7 AM EST Thursday
for ANZ254>256.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...KJC/Hrencecin
AVIATION...KP
MARINE...KJC
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Index:
https://api.weather.gov/products/types/AFD/locations/BOX