Powerful Nor’easter Arrives Late Sunday Night

RARE BLIZZARD WARNINGS ISSUED

The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for eastern Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island, including Boston, the Cape and Islands. Areas west of Route 128 are under a Winter Storm Warning. A Winter Storm Watch has been posted for southern NH. The last blizzard warnings issued in our area were just over four years ago (January 2022 storm).

A blizzard is classified as having sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or greater, combined with falling and/or blowing snow that reduces visibility to a quarter mile or less for at least three consecutive hours. It’s not just about how much snow falls — it’s about the combination of wind and visibility. Late Sunday night into Monday, eastern MA and RI could meet that criteria.

STORM TIMELINE & IMPACTS

Snow arrives late Sunday afternoon, light at first, then becomes heavy closer to the 10pm-12am timeframe. The peak of the storm will be Monday, especially during the morning, when we will see heavy snow, very low visibility, and strong winds all coming together. Snow tapers Monday night, but winds may continue to cause blowing and drifting.

Much of the state will end up with 1-2 FEET of snow when all said and done. The highest totals are favored along the I-95 corridor right now. However, impacts will be significant all the way from the Cape & Islands through the Worcester hills and southeast New Hampshire.

Gusts between 50 and 70 mph will be possible, strongest across eastern Massachusetts, the Cape, and the Islands. With heavy snow and those kinds of gusts, power outages are likely to be widespread.

We’re also watching coastal flooding and erosion concerns, especially around the Monday and Tuesday morning high tides. Hight tides combined with strong onshore winds will likely lead to minor-moderate flooding along parts of the eastern Massachusetts coastline.

This is shaping up to be a high-impact storm, particularly for eastern MA and Rhode Island. Travel on Monday will be dangerous at times, and conditions will deteriorate quickly once heavier snow and stronger wind arrives. The forecast is coming into better focus, but small track shifts still matter, so stay with us for the latest updates.

© 2025 Cox Media Group