The meteorological winter comes to an end this weekend, and this means that when we start the next work week, it’s officially spring in a weather person’s handbook.
If you are wondering, meteorological winter is the coldest three months of the year — obviously that’s December January and February. You are likely familiar with astronomical spring on March 20, by then we’ve gained three months of daylight, and as far as, nature is concerned spring will have been underway for a few weeks.
The official numbers that aren’t in Boston received 34.1 inches of snow over the past three months, and when you add in what fell in October and November, you end up with 38.4 inches of snow, so far this season. If it never snowed again until next fall, we would still have had a fairly typical snow season although below average.
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There’s been a lot more snow to the west. Worcester saw nearly 31 inches of snow this month, a whopping 10 inches above average in one of the snowier Februaries we’ve had in a while.
Temperature-wise our chilly February has brought the average for the winter lower, and we are about 47th coldest, since records started. But basically right in the middle of winter temperatures over the past 30 years. While we can compare today’s winter with those of the late 1800s for fun, it seems more reasonable to think about the past few decades, and this winter is pretty typical.
The final three days of this month will feature some cold weather with bright and chilly conditions for Friday and temperatures below average.
There will be less wind than we saw on Thursday. A new weather system approaches this weekend bringing mainly rain.
If the precipitation arrives early enough on Saturday, there could be a little burst of snow for an hour or two. But with temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees in the afternoon, there’s no way we’re going to see anything more than a coating.
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I’m generally expecting a quarter to a half an inch of rain with the heaviest being south of the Mass Pike. Sunday will be mainly cloudy as another weather system approaches from the south. It will be mild with readings in the 40s.
If the weather system stays a little farther south, we won’t see any rain Sunday afternoon or evening. Right now, I’d say it’s a 50/50 split, and I’m leaning toward it not bringing more rain in this second system.
It’s fairly seasonable to start March with sunshine and blustery conditions, but then a quick blast of cold air arrives for Tuesday with temperatures in the lower 30s before more spring like conditions return.