Significant Weather Blog: Tuesday, December 30, 2025 6 PM
Some Snow Likely Late New Years Eve into New Years Morning
Some Snow Likely Late Wednesday Night into Thursday Morning
Snow will spread west to east across southern New England New Years Eve between midnight and 2 or 3 AM and last to late morning New Years Day except possibly into the early afternoon over the Cape and Islands. Latest trends support around just an inch or so of snow for most of southern New England. Somewhat higher amounts, however, are expected for the Cape and Islands and southeast MA, especially south of a Plymouth-Taunton line. Over the Cape and portions of southeast MA, snow may accumulate 1 to 3 inches and possibly as much as 2 to 4 inches over Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The reason for the snowfall will be a rather vigorous short wave upper trough rotating about a strong polar vortex centered over eastern Hudson Bay. There looks to be some surface low pressure development as the trough crosses southern New England to enable some low-level moisture convergence and a little greater lift (upward motion) especially across southeast New England. This system has limited moisture overall and so generally light amounts are expected. Over the Cape and Islands there may also be some ocean effect enhancement from cold air moving over significantly warmer water to produce low level instability. Given the sharpness of the upper trough, surface low development, and possible ocean enhancement, there is a strong possibility of a few inches of snow accumulating over the Cape and Islands as well as adjacent southeast MA (southern portions of Bristol and Plymouth Counties).
Since travel will likely become slippery during the Thursday early morning hours, late night New Years Eve revelers may wish to monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service and be prepared to adjust plans accordingly.
Rest of the Week
The rest of the week and weekend is anticipated to be dry and cold with below normal temperatures.
Next Message
The next blog message will likely be the scheduled weekly significant weather outlook to be issued on Monday January 5, 2026.
Happy New Year!
About this Blog and Disclaimer
The National Weather Service monitors the weather 24/7 and updates forecasts, watches, and warnings as necessary. For most of southern New England, refer to your local Weather Forecast Office for the latest forecast/warning information at weather.gov/box. For information from other Weather Forecast Offices, go to weather.gov and click on the location of interest on the map.
A blog is issued when there is a potential risk of hazardous weather to southern New England and serves to provide background information regarding the significant weather with somewhat of an educational slant. In the case of hurricanes, the author will attempt to issue a message when any portion of the United States coastline may be seriously impacted. It’s intended to complement and not serve as an alternative to official forecasts issued by the National Weather Service. Readers are urged to check National Weather Service forecasts and warnings for the most timely and updated weather information. This weather message is solely produced by the listed author and does not constitute an official product of the Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center (BHOSC).
The frequency of this blog will depend upon the nature of the weather threat and availability of the author. Thus, for the latest information on weather forecasts and warnings, refer to the National Weather Service, which monitors and forecasts the weather 24/7.
Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center (BHOSC)
The BHOSC maintains a continuous daily observation record that dates from February 1, 1885 without interruption and provides educational information on weather and climate to area students and the community at large. Your support of BHOSC is much appreciated and enables this nonprofit organization to maintain the long-term climate record at the Blue Hill Observatory (longest continuous record in North America) and provide valuable educational resources on weather and climate via outreach to schools, site visits/tours, webinars, and conferences. For more information on the Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center, explore bluehill.org.
Message issued December 30, 2025 by:
Bob Thompson
Retired National Weather Service Meteorologist
Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center Board member
