NORTHAMPTON — Seemingly in defiance of recent spells of warm, spring-like weather, a chilly air mass is expected to arrive in the coming hours, bringing with it snowfall to most of Massachusetts and southern New England.
Residents in Hampshire, Franklin and northern Berkshire counties can expect a slippery morning commute Friday with between a light dusting and an inch of snow, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Travel on Cape Cod as well as in Connecticut and Rhode Island will be difficult given predictions of as much as 6 to 8 inches accumulating in those areas.
Similarly, Hampden and southern Berkshire counties — as well as regions south of Interstate 90 — may receive as much as 4 inches of snow in some places.
Snow is expected to begin falling in the very early morning hours of Friday, peak during the morning commute and taper off in the afternoon. Nearer to the coast, snow could fall as quickly as 1 to 2 inches an hour.
NWS has issued winter weather warnings and advisories for much of central and eastern Massachusetts as well as northern Connecticut and most of Rhode Island. Officials ask that people avoid driving if possible during the worst of the snowfall.
Additionally, the wind chill factor will push temperatures to below zero during the overnight hours throughout the weekend. Cold wind during the day Saturday will keep temperatures in the single digits.
The NWS did not rule out the possibility of another snowstorm sweeping across southern New England on Tuesday.
Morgan Hughes can be reached at mahughes@umass.edu.