First sign of spring?

[TBone]

I hate to bust everyone's bubble, I'm hoping for spring as much as the next guy, but...

... A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM MAY AFFECT SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LATER THIS WEEK...

ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL A FEW DAYS AWAY... THERE IS INCREASING CONFIDENCE THAT A WINTER STORM WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW... STRONG WINDS AND COASTAL FLOODING TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT EXACT DETAILS STILL NEED TO BE DETERMINED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THE STORM COULD POSE LESS OF A THREAT THAN CURRENTLY EXPECTED.

THE LATEST FORECAST IS FOR A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO STRENGTHEN RAPIDLY AS IT TRACKS SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND THURSDAY MORNING... PASSES NEAR CAPE COD AND NANTUCKET THURSDAY EVENING... THEN HEADS TO THE GULF OF MAINE FRIDAY MORNING.

HEAVY SNOW COULD AFFECT MUCH OF INTERIOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND... ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS WHERE THE HIGHEST TOTALS COULD OCCUR. AMOUNTS WOULD PROBABLY BE LOWER FROM THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR TO CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS SINCE RAIN IS EXPECTED AT THE START... BUT EVEN THERE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE.

MINOR TO PERHAPS MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING MAY AFFECT THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS COAST DURING HIGH TIDE AROUND MIDDAY THURSDAY OR LATE THURSDAY NIGHT... DUE TO ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH TIDES AND ROUGH SEAS.

IN ADDITION... NORTH WINDS MAY INCREASE RAPIDLY BEHIND THE STORM THURSDAY NIGHT ALONG THE COAST... AND MAY LAST INTO SATURDAY.

SINCE THIS POTENTIAL STORM IS STILL A FEW DAYS AWAY... IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO PAY ATTENTION TO LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS....