Manchester, New Hampshire – Slippery highways and strong wind gusts could disrupt travel across New Hampshire beginning Thursday, Feb. 26, as a wetter late-winter pattern settles in through Monday, March 2.
According to NOAA’s 6- to 10-day outlook issued Friday, above-normal precipitation is favored across New England during the Thursday-to-Monday stretch. With temperatures expected to hover near seasonal averages, small swings around 32 degrees may allow periods of freezing rain, especially overnight and during early morning commutes.
Statewide, travel concerns will likely focus along I-93 from Salem through Concord and into the Lakes Region, where bridges and overpasses freeze first. In Manchester, elevated sections near the Merrimack River could turn slick if light ice accumulates. Concord and areas east toward Portsmouth may see precipitation shift between rain and freezing rain as temperatures fluctuate.
Higher elevations in the White Mountains, including Franconia Notch and Mount Washington Valley, face an elevated icing risk if colder air lingers. Wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph are possible late in the period, particularly across exposed ridgelines and coastal Rockingham County. Those gusts could bring down tree limbs and cause scattered power outages.
Residents should secure outdoor items, charge electronic devices, and allow extra time for travel during peak icing windows. The unsettled pattern holds through March 2, and additional advisories may be issued as systems approach.
