New Hampshire

March Madness: 3rd Nor'easter Threatens New England

For our Sunday, we woke up to bright, sun-filled skies as we sprung ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time.  It was a chilly and breezy start, but at least the wind will weaken over time and temperatures will rise into the mid to upper 40s south, upper 30s north. 

Overnight tonight, under mostly clear skies and winds out of the North by Northwest, temperatures will take a tumble into the 20s in Southern New England and into the upper teens to the north.

We’ll be off to another cold start for our Monday morning commute, with most of the day remaining quiet and dry - but this will be the calm before our next nor’easter.

The third major storm for the month will bring the leading edge of a wintry mix and snow showers that stretch into southwestern New England and continue to spread northeastward late Monday night into early Tuesday morning. 

The system is currently bringing thunderstorms to parts of the Deep South. As the energy reaches just off the coast of the Carolinas, it will strengthen over the course of the next 48 hours as it approaches the coastal waters of New England. The system’s track hugs the coastline, but the low itself will continue to deepen, making for a powerful storm at sea.

There will be strong northeasterly winds at the immediate coast, especially for the Cape and Islands, which could record gusts in excess of 50-60 mph Tuesday.  Flooding is not the main threat with this storm since astronomical high tides are not occurring during this time of the month but erosion can still occur with the battering gusts. 

Now the question everyone is wondering, how much more snow? 

Snowfall rates in excess of one inch per hour are likely most of the day, which would get us to a foot of snow for many areas. If it keeps snowing most of the night, a widespread 12 to 18 inches is expected throughout most of New England, with a little less in south western Connecticut and perhaps over Cape Cod and the Islands.

The timing on the snow picks up Monday night after midnight in Southern New England and spreads northward into Tuesday morning.  By 7 a.m. Tuesday, some heavy bands of snow are expected along the Cape, Southeastern Massachusetts, with moderate snow farther northwest. 

The snow will continue into Tuesday evening, especially for eastern New England, with snow tapering for western Connecticut and transitioning to a mix to rain for the coastal regions in Connecticut and Rhode Island. 

By Wednesday morning, the storm will be positioned closer to Nova Scotia, with the backside of the storm still bringing snow showers for northern New England through much of the day. Snowfall estimates for Downeast Maine range from 12- to 18-inches in total and most of New Hampshire will receive about 9- to 12-inches. 

The end of the week will turn more tranquil and mild, with St. Patrick’s Day weekend nearing 50 with a chance for a passing rain shower Sunday. 

In the meantime, stay tuned for the very latest on the next nor’easter by downloading the NBC10 Boston / NECN app to get alerts right to your phone. 

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