First Seacoast snow of 2024? Storm with wind gusts could hit region

Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald
·2 min read

Meteorologists are tracking what could be the Seacoast's first significant snow event of the 2023-2024 winter season following a not-so-white Christmas.

National Weather Service forecasters in Gray, Maine, anticipate snowfall in New Hampshire coastline communities Sunday, Jan. 7. While southern Maine towns could be blanketed in snow, too, the greater probability for “any sort of mixed precipitation” is on the New Hampshire coast, a forecaster says.

“Right now we have a lot of uncertainty in the forecast,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Palmer. “One thing I can tell you is that we do expect it to snow in the Seacoast on Sunday. Amounts or any more details past that are quite uncertain.”

A snow storm hits Portsmouth Feb. 25, 2022. The first significant snowfall of winter 2023-24 could come Sunday, Jan. 7 in the Seacoast area.
A snow storm hits Portsmouth Feb. 25, 2022. The first significant snowfall of winter 2023-24 could come Sunday, Jan. 7 in the Seacoast area.

If precipitation hits, Palmer expects it to be almost exclusively snow for the local area.

“We can’t really rule out a little bit of a mix, potentially a little bit of a wintry mix along the immediate coastline,” he said. “Odds are this is going to be an entirely snow event for most people.”

Seacoast real estate: Here are 10 highest-priced home sales of 2023

“If anything, the greater chance of any sort of mixed precipitation would be in the coastline in southern New Hampshire,” Palmer added.

When will snow forecast become clear?

The National Weather Service expects to finalize snowfall predictions by Friday.

Present projections show wind gusts could hit upwards of 30 mph in the Seacoast on Sunday, Palmer noted.

“There is just so much uncertainty. There are still some models suggesting that not a whole lot will happen at all,” he said. “We’re going to really have to keep an eye on this and see about the storm track and how the storm intensity progresses.”

Maine real estate: York County's 10 highest priced homes of 2023

The National Weather Service is also monitoring snow showers that may hit Maine and New Hampshire on Thursday evening, though the Seacoast and southern Maine are not expected to receive any snowfall.

“The best chance for any accumulations will be along the international border and higher terrain, and on the Mid Coast,” according to NWS.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast NH, Maine could see winter's first snow storm of 2024