Mass. weather: Arctic front coming Wednesday, on-and-off rain before then

While this week is expected to continue having some dry weather similar to last week’s, forecasters anticipate a little more rain to be on its way.

This trend starts predominantly for Western Massachusetts and Connecticut on Monday night, the National Weather Service said. A 90% chance of rain in Springfield is expected to start at around 5 p.m. Rain for the rest of Massachusetts is expected to hit later in the evening.

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Worcester Hills and the Berkshires could see snow, but warmer temperatures will keep precipitation across the region relatively wet rather than icy, forecasters said. Any snow accumulation could be as much as a coating to an inch. Temperatures will mostly stay in the 30s as well even as the precipitation tapers off by daybreak on Tuesday.

Dry conditions are expected to return Tuesday, but forecasters aren’t ruling out some potential showers “with partial sunshine developing in the west during the afternoon.” Cloud cover will keep temperatures roughly around the mid and upper 40s. A chance for weak showers of rain or flurries are possible from Tuesday evening going into Wednesday. In Worcester, for example, forecasters only see a 20% chance of precipitation.

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Wednesday could see highs in the 40s and 50s with yet again dry and quiet weather in the forecast. This could change by the evening when forecasters see “our next shot for impactful weather as a strong cold front moves through.” As it moves through, the weather service said the main concern is over snow squalls and gusty winds of 23 to 46 mph.

However, the weather service said it will keep an eye on this arctic front’s exact timing and whether it could impact Thursday morning’s commute. In terms of temperature, forecasters believe there could be lows in the 20s across higher terrain while staying in the low to mid 30s across Massachusetts.

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The dry and quiet weather is expected to return for most of Thursday, with strong winds and gusts between 25 and 35 mph, forecasters said. This precedes another storm expected to arrive Friday, bringing with it “more widespread rain showers, gusty winds and perhaps a few thunderstorms.”

It could last through the weekend, but the weather service said the timing and intensity of this system remains uncertain as of Monday.