Thursday Insights:
Extreme Drought,
Sunday’s Clipper Origin & Weekend Details

As the final weekend of January approaches, New Englanders can expect a mix of sunshine, more seasonable temperatures, and a quick-hitting clipper system delivering light snow to the mountains. Here’s what to expect:

Drought Monitor Update

While New England continues to experience abnormally dry conditions, with pockets of severe drought in Central Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut, the drought situation in Southern California is worsening. Extreme drought now covers a large portion of Southern California, rapidly expanding into Nevada and western Arizona.

Here in New England, we’re still in need of precipitation, but the upcoming weekend won’t deliver much relief, as dry weather dominates with only scattered snow showers.

The Cold Eases—Slightly

This week’s Arctic air is starting to ease across the U.S., allowing temperatures to rebound, including here in New England.

• Today: 20s to lower 30s, with the coldest air in Northern Maine (teens).
• Friday Night: Single digits and subzero readings across the North Country, teens along the South Coast.
• Saturday: A brighter day, with highs in the 20s to lower 30s and plenty of sunshine.
• Sunday: A touch milder, with mid-to-upper 30s in Southern New England and 20s across the far North.

Sunday Clipper System

A quick-moving clipper system originating in the Arctic will arrive Sunday, bringing:

• Light Snow: Focused on Northern and Western New England.
• Snow Totals:
  • Coating to 1 inch in the Berkshires and lower elevations.
  • 2–4 inches for higher terrain in Northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Coos County, NH.

Snow showers will linger through Sunday afternoon, particularly in the mountains – with the chance of a brief passing snow shower elsewhere.