Today marks the first day of spring, yet Waltham may be hit by the fourth incoming nor’easter tomorrow through Thursday. Whether the storm will bring heavy precipitation, winds or anything at all is yet to be determined.

National Weather Service Boston posted a hazardous weather outlook on Sunday afternoon, noting that “there is the risk of a coastal storm which may bring accumulating snow to the region along with northeasterly wind gusts as high as 50 mph.” 

While the mid-Atlantic region will see a mix of snow and rain today, the amount of snow that New England will get will depend on the track of an offshore low-pressure system. After direct impact to the northern Great Plains and mid-Atlantic region, the low-pressure system will move north and may stay far enough off the coast that only residual high winds will be be felt in the Boston area. 

In a tweet yesterday, the NWSB confirmed that the storm is trending close to shore with a “potential for significant snowfall.” That said, the NWSB added that “the breadth & magnitude of threats relating to impacts remains uncertain at this time.” 

This is the fourth nor’easter New England has faced within three weeks — a response to another jet stream of cold air swinging its way southeast from Canada, through the Plains and up along the Atlantic coast. Last Tuesday’s  nor’easter blizzard brought the University a snow day and 20.5 inches of snow but only four power outages to Waltham, according to a March 12 Wicked Local Waltham article. 

Nor’easter or not, “bundle up,” advised a NWSB tweet, because the remaining week will stay “several degrees below normal for mid-March.”

 — Michelle Dang