Boston Weather Alert: Nor’easter to Slam City Tonight with Heavy Snow—See Hour-by-Hour Forecast

BOSTON—After an overnight bout of showers, Greater Boston is poised for a spring-like Thursday, with skies turning mostly sunny and temperatures topping out near 66 °F (18 °C). The warmth will feel almost summer-ready compared with last week’s chill and is expected to push Logan Airport close to record territory for late March. Don’t get too comfortable, though: a fast-moving cold front slices through the region Thursday night, sending Friday’s daytime high down to the upper 40s and ushering in brisk northwest winds. With morning readings near the freezing mark, Friday will feel nearly 20 degrees colder than 24 hours earlier, a reminder that March in New England can turn on a dime. Saturday looks to be the coldest day of the stretch, with afternoon temperatures struggling to reach the mid-30s and a biting breeze keeping wind-chill values below freezing. Sunshine will dominate, but any early budding plants will need protection from overnight lows in the upper 20s. By Palm Sunday, the mercury rebounds to the upper 40s under partly sunny skies, setting the stage for a milder start to next week. Monday warms dramatically into the lower 60s ahead of an approaching coastal disturbance, followed by a return to seasonable 50s on Tuesday and Wednesday as showers graze the area. Early indications from the Climate Prediction Center favor near-to-above-normal temperatures for the first half of April, along with near-normal precipitation chances. In the short term, residents should take advantage of Thursday’s warmth while keeping rain gear handy for spot sprinkles before noon. Travelers heading out Friday morning should plan for gusty winds on the Tobin and Zakim bridges, while marathon-trainers eyeing weekend long runs may prefer Sunday’s relative thaw over Saturday’s chill. Bottom line: Boston weather is on a roller-coaster, but the ride is tilting toward spring. Keep layers close, sunglasses closer, and track the fast-changing forecast to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature’s mid-March mood swings.