January thaw arrives early; above-average temperatures expected into next week

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

What remains of the snow in Eastern Massachusetts could be gone by the end of the weekend thanks to an early-starting January thaw, according to the National Weather Service.

A warm front moving through the Bay State today is bringing sun and higher temperatures, said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Taunton office.

He said temperatures will reach the mid-40s today, though a gusty 35-mile-per-hour wind from the southwest will add a slight chill.

Dunham expects the wind to die down this evening, and with lows only into the mid-30s, the mercury will climb again Wednesday. Without today’s wind, Wednesday will feel even better, he said, with only a slight breeze and highs in the upper 40s.

A frontal system will slide east Friday, and Friday evening poses the region’s best chance for showers throughout the state. Temperatures will continue to climb through the weekend, with highs “at least in the lower 50s on Sunday,” Dunham said. (Some models suggest that the temperatures could be even higher, into the mid-60s on Sunday, forecasters noted in a discussion posted on the Internet.)

“This won’t be a week for skiers” in southern New England, Dunham said.

East of Route 128, Dunham predicts snow to mostly disappear by the start of next week, though places such as Foxborough, currently with 6 inches of snow, will likely still have patches on the ground.

In Western and Central Massachusetts, some melting will occur, but the snow will stick around, he said. Resorts in northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine will all have overnight lows conducive to snowmaking, and may even get the real thing Friday night into Saturday.

“It’s hard to get rid of all the snow this time of year,” he said.

Massachusetts is expected to remain in the grips of the January thaw through next week, with temperatures still hitting the 40s and mostly clear skies, he said. Dunham said there is no chance of snow for the next week.

The January thaw is a weather phenomenon that usually arrives in late January in New England.