What a wintry mess of a spring day today. Southern New England saw it all: Cold rain showers, a few wet snowflakes, and sleet. More snow showers are expected to work into the picture across Northern New England overnight. Temperatures at Logan Airport scratched 39 degrees, 14 degrees below the daily average.
Boston and the rest of Southern New England will start to see some clearing Tuesday morning as the front responsible for the precipitation skirts offshore. A stray morning shower or flurry is possible near the coast, including the city. The sun should be breaking through the clouds by late morning at the latest.
A separate system north of New England will traverse along the Canadian border and bring snow showers across the northern tier of the region throughout the day with a few bursts of steady snow mixed in, but the April sun will put accumulation to the test. Parts of northern Maine may end up seeing a few inches of spring snow with a couple moments of heavy snow with possible snow squalls.
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Cold air will blanket New England, rewinding the clock and making it feel like winter again. Wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour will make it feel even colder, with wind chills below freezing when you head out in the morning, so bundle up. By afternoon, the wind chills improve but not by much as the wind ramps up.
A wind advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m., Tuesday, for Massachusetts, except for southeastern portions of the state, and southern New Hampshire and Maine. A winter weather advisory is in effect Tuesday for northern Maine.
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Take away the wind chill factor, and our highs look similar to Monday’s, only reaching the upper 30s and low 40s across Southern New England.
Tuesday night will likely end up being the coldest night of the week with this shot of cold air and clear skies allowing for any heat at the surface to freely escape. Boston will likely plunge into the 20s, while the Berkshires drop into the upper teens. There will likely be some hard freezes overnight that could spoil any early flowers and cause crop damage to local growers.
Boston’s average for the last freeze is April 9, so we’re almost right on par with the norm. With temperatures warming gradually for the week, tonight may end up being the last we see of freezing temperatures in the area.
Look-ahead
Tuesday’s breakdown
Greater Boston: Cold and blustery with decreasing clouds through the day. A slight chance of a morning sprinkle. Highs in the low 40s, with winds reaching 20 mph with gusts even higher. Tonight stays mostly clear, with temperatures dropping into the 20s.
Central/West Mass.: A dry day on tap with partly sunny skies and highs in the upper 30s and low 40s. Highs will only reach the low 30s for the Berkshires. Wind ramps up in the afternoon between 15 and 20 mph with gusts close to 30. Staying mostly clear tonight with lows in the 20s for most, upper teens in the Berkshires.
Southeastern Mass.: Decreasing clouds in the morning with a spot sprinkle. More sun in the afternoon. Highs will only make it to the mid-40s today with strong wind gusts near the South Coast to 30 or 35 mph. Staying mostly clear tonight, with lows in the mid- to upper 20s.
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Cape and Islands: Seeing more clouds than sun in the early morning with a spot shower possible. Clearing late morning with sunshine by the afternoon. Highs to the low and mid-40s. Windy throughout the afternoon with gusts between 30 and 40 mph. A clear night ahead with lows falling to the upper 20s.
Rhode Island: Decreasing clouds in the morning with a sprinkle possible before sunrise. Highs only make it to the mid-40s with windy conditions. A mostly clear night with lows slipping to the mid-20s.
New Hampshire: Scattered snow showers under mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. Highs reach the mid-30s for most, with a bit of a breeze to 15 mph. Some clearing late in the day with partly to mostly cloudy skies at night as lows fall to the low 20s.
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Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.