After nearly 5 inches of snow and some afternoon showers Saturday, Greater Boston can expect a dramatic change on Sunday, when the thermometer will rise and rain will fall, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
Temperatures are expected to rise overnight into Sunday, soaring into the mid-50s by afternoon, as one storm moves out of the area and another storm moves in.
Rain should start falling again Sunday around 1 p.m., and be over around 5 p.m., said weather service meteorologist Lenore Correia.
Forecasters were concerned Saturday about the possibility of a “flash freeze,” with the temperature dips during the evening, potentially creating icy patches on roadways. Freezing rain advisories were issued in Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and northern Worcester counties, where forecasters were most concerned about the potential for icy conditions, said weather service meteorologist William Babcock.
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“The question is, ‘How fast does that rain move in versus how fast does that freezing air move out?’” Babcock said. “And it looks like there might be a little overlap for the two, so for that reason, we have a freezing rain advisory.”
Those freezing rain advisories will last until about 3 or 4 a.m. on Sunday, Babcock said.
Forecasters are concerned about the possibility of a “flash freeze,” with the temperature dips late Saturday afternoon and into the evening, potentially creating icy patches on roadways.
Snow started falling around 3 a.m. Saturday in the Boston area, slightly earlier than expected, and totaled about 4 and a half inches by the time it stopped around noon.
By the time the snow stopped falling elsewhere in the state at around 1 p.m., Springfield and Worcester had the highest accumulation at 6 to 7 inches and 5 to 6 inches, respectively, according to Correia.
The rain, which started in Greater Boston around 1 p.m., moved offshore within an hour, Correia said.
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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation had about 2,888 pieces of equipment treating and clearing state roads at the height of the storm, spokeswoman Jacquelyn Goddard said late Saturday night.
There were 180 pieces still out at about 11 p.m., she said.
The left two lanes of Interstate 495 northbound were shut down after a crash involving a tractor-trailer on Saturday morning, according to Massachusetts State Police spokesman Matthew Guarino. A number of spin-outs were reported, mainly involving drivers going too fast for conditions, but no major injuries, he said. At least one car was abandoned after spinning out, according to State Police on Twitter, where they urged drivers to stay with their vehicles in such incidents and call 911 for help.
Earlier in the day, Logan International Airport cancelled 130 flights, or about 15 percent of the flights that were supposed to take off, according to Massport spokesman Matthew Brelis.
Temperatures will be rising overnight, then soaring into the mid-50s on Sunday, according to Correia. Rain should start falling again Sunday afternoon around 1 p.m., and be over around 5 p.m., she said.
Expect a cold start to the workweek, with highs on Monday likely failing to crack 30, according the weather service. Temperatures will gradually edge upward, with highs Thursday and Friday in the mid-40s.
Live updates from @NWSBoston
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Sean Smyth of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Martha Schick can be reached at martha.schick@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarthaSchick.