Snow storm this weekend? The first Easter holiday of the year in the Boston area is possible from Saturday to Sunday

How much snow will we get in Boston this weekend? The WBZ NEXT Weather team is preparing for a possible nor'easter in Massachusetts.

BOSTON — After an unforgettable (or forgettable depending on your weather preference) December in which Boston finished in the top five all-time for the warmest and least snowy region, the winds of change certainly seem to be blowing.

Snow is finally in the weather forecast

By now, you've probably heard that “Boy“Winter. There is a strong El Niño happening now that will continue to have a major impact on our weather in the future. The typical playbook for an El Niño in winter is a slow start to winter and a mild December. Check it out.”

January and February tend to be a little colder and snowier, and they also hold the potential for some big storms on the East Coast. Wouldn't you know it, this is exactly what most models are predicting in the coming weeks.

The frontal pattern has a classic El Nino appearance in mid-late winter. This includes a very active southerly storm track with many storms impacting the western United States and then diving south toward the Gulf of Mexico. The big question for us here in the Northeast is what happens from there. Not all of them will be “hits” for New England, and depending on the storm track and changing weather settings, there will likely be some storms that don't quite reach our south (see this Thursday).

But I think it's safe to say that they wouldn't all be wrong either. A handful of these storms will likely turn north and head toward the East Coast bringing a variety of impact conditions and precipitation types from the mid-Atlantic to New England.

This brings us to this weekend and our first chance for a legitimate, tillable snowstorm of the season.

When will it snow?

As of this writing, there is a storm system about to come ashore on the West Coast. This storm will cross the country this week, moving southeast across the Rocky Mountains, passing through Texas on Friday.

Late Friday night, the storm will receive a boost of energy and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

On Saturday, the storm will gain strength and rapidly deepen over the southeastern states. It will bring periods of heavy rain from the Carolinas to Florida and up to several inches of snow in parts of the Appalachians.

From here, the path is key. Most models now favor the central track just south of New England, somewhere fairly close to the “standard” 40N/70W just south of Nantucket.

If this is the case, pay attention. We call it the benchmark for a reason, as this is the area that most major winter storms pass through (or near) giving southern New England the highest odds of significant snow and winds.

Considering it's only Wednesday, and this storm is still more than three days away, there's a lot that can and will happen between now and then. It's too early to talk about snow amounts, rain/snow lines, etc., and there are a lot of weather variables that far in advance.

What I will say is that there is a lot of potential here and it would be wise to start doing a few simple things to make sure you are prepared. Turn on the snow blower, put your stakes on the road, and if you have plans to travel on Sunday, maybe consider a backup plan just in case.

How much snow will it be this weekend?

What can we talk about under the worst-case scenario?

• Movable snow fell for much of southern New England.
• Strong east-northeast winds may be harmful.
• Some minor coastal flooding. Fortunately, tides are astronomically low this weekend, so we can likely rule out major coastal flooding.
• While the brunt of the storm appears to be Saturday and Sunday night, there will likely be significant travel disruption to much of the Northeast that could last into Monday.

This may be just the beginning. There is another strong storm signal in the middle of next week. Early indications point to a further westward track of the weekend storm, which could bring rain, ice and snow. It's certainly possible that when all is said and done, we may look back at the next few weeks as the most active and impactful of the entire winter.

Obviously, our WBZ-TV NEXT weather team will keep you informed every step of the way with constant updates on WBZ-TV, WBZ.com and CBS News Boston. You can expect more details and details as we get closer to the weekend and we will alert you of any expected changes immediately! Stay tuned!