Weather for New England and the Northeast

National Weather Service Boston Norton MA
Issued 226 PM EDT Mon Dec 8 2025

SYNOPSIS
Very cold overnight with an arctic airmass in place, followed by a cold and dry Tuesday. Temperatures improve midweek, but unsettled conditions also arrive with several weak systems bringing periodic chances for rain or snow showers into Saturday. Cooler weather returns later in the week, then below normal temperatures follow by the end of the weekend.

Near Term (Through Tonight)
Key message, very cold overnight with some areas dropping below zero in far northern and northwestern Massachusetts.
No significant weather issues are expected tonight as high pressure settles overhead. This high pressure originated near the Arctic Circle and is responsible for the unusually cold airmass. Wind gusts diminish this afternoon, leaving light or calm winds overnight. Clear sky and light wind promote radiational cooling, which allows heat to escape quickly from the surface.

Temperatures at the 500 millibar level are between about minus 26 degrees and minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit. The 500 millibar level is a commonly used reference height in the mid atmosphere. These values are unusually cold for this date based on Chatham sounding climatology. Expect frigid conditions, especially across northern and western Massachusetts where snow depth of 4 to 8 inches enhances cooling. Overnight lows here fall into the low single digits to a few degrees below zero. Elsewhere, temperatures fall into the single digits and teens near the coast.
Short Term (Tuesday Through Tuesday Night)
Key messages,
Dry weather continues through Tuesday, then a fast moving system brings snow or rain showers Tuesday night.

Minor snow accumulations are possible, but not expected to be widespread.
Tuesday remains quiet and dry. High pressure shifts east of New England, allowing sunny skies to give way to increasing clouds as warm air advection moves moisture into the region. Warm air advection, also known as WAA, is the transport of warmer air overhead and often encourages rising motion and cloud development.

Temperatures at the 925 millibar level run between about 17 degrees and 21 degrees Fahrenheit. The 925 millibar level is a lower atmosphere reference height meteorologists use to gauge near surface temperatures. With a mixed boundary layer, afternoon highs remain in the 20s to mid 30s at the coast.

Tuesday night, a mid level warm front and 850 millibar frontogenesis arrive between 7 PM and 1 AM. Frontogenesis is a process where sharper temperature contrasts develop in the atmosphere, encouraging lift and precipitation. The layer is not fully saturated, so snow showers should be brief and light. High resolution models show a quick round of inland snow showers and coastal rain showers. Minor snow amounts of a few tenths of an inch are possible on paved surfaces. Up to 1 inch remains possible in isolated spots but is not expected to be widespread.
Any untreated wet surfaces may become slick overnight as temperatures fall into the upper teens through the 20s.
Long Term (Wednesday Through Sunday)
Key messages,
Periodic chances for precipitation through Sunday.
Uncertainty remains high on timing, amounts, and precipitation type from Wednesday onward.

Guidance generally agrees on the large scale pattern. A deepening mid level trough, which is a broad dip in the jet stream aloft, sets up over the eastern USA later in the week. Timing and strength differences increase heading into the weekend. One area of uncertainty involves a mid level cutoff low expected to form between Hudson Bay and Quebec. Our distance from this feature will affect how efficiently cold air advection produces scattered showers.

Guidance also shows a weak mid level storm track to our south later this week into early next week. Some guidance hints at a fast moving low pressure system passing near the region this weekend, which would raise precipitation chances, though its exact track remains uncertain.

Highest confidence for accumulating snow is across the higher terrain of southern New England Wednesday, with lower elevations experiencing a change from snow to rain. After the midweek low moves to our north and west, the region enters a cold air advection pattern Thursday into Saturday. Many dry breaks are expected, but a passing shower or flurry cannot be ruled out.

The possible weekend low pressure system still carries significant uncertainty. If it travels close enough, the region could see light snow at night and a mix of light rain and snow during the day. At this point, no major storm is expected. High pressure returns early next week.
Temperatures trend below normal late this week and into early next week.