Storm Will Bring Heavy Rain; Rest of the Month Cold

It'll be a fairly big storm area-wise, and also a powerful storm, but will mostly bring rain, according to weather specialist Jim Arnold from the Shrewsbury Emergency Management Agency.

The National Weather Service and other meteorologists are reporting a "significant coastal storm" that shows a mix of rain and snow hitting Northborough on Wednesday into Thursday.

Arnold said that the major impacts will stretch from the Delmarva Peninsula to New England, and "that entire area will be raked by very strong winds and heavy precipitation. It will not be as strong as Sandy was and its track will be different so the impacts felt from it will also be different, but nonetheless significant."

Arnold said unless there is a late and unexpected storm track change, it's fairly certain that the storm will bring mostly rain to the area with some wintry mix possible in higher grounds.

"Rain or a mix of snow, sleet and rain will begin in the central Massachusetts area around or just after noon Wednesday," he said. "Any mixed precipitation should soon change to rain as a warmer marine influence, brought inland by northeast winds should keep us just warm enough to avoid any meaningful snowfall. Rain will become moderate to heavy by evening and continue Wednesday night and into Thursday morning when it will taper off and end around noon. "

This, he said, could cause some street flooding in the "usual areas," particularly those with leaves that have drainage structures clogged. Winds should hit up to about 25 mph on Wednesday afternoon and pick up to 45 mph by evening.

"Thursday, as the storm pulls away from us, winds will shift to the northwest and increase during the afternoon and evening, possibly gusting as high as 45 mph again," he said. "Temperatures should hold in the high 30s to the low to mid 40s throughout the storm."

Following the storm, Arnold said weather should be generally "fair with moderating temperatures." In terms of a long-range outlook, he predicts temperatures in the 60s, but that will be short-lived.

"Cold weather will return and stay with us for the rest of the month," he said.