Incoming cold air is going to set the stage for a couple of snow chances in Massachusetts this weekend, the latest weather forecast shows.

Halfway through January, Boston has seen nine straight days of above-average temperatures, and snow has been well below average with only 1.1 inches in the city so far.

But there is a long way to go this winter, and, right on cue, we are in for some big changes.

Temperatures are about to take a nosedive. The plunge will begin after sunset Thursday night and by Friday morning, a good portion of the Boston area will be in the teens.

Add in a gusty westerly wind and it will feel like the single digits as you head out to work and the bus stop Friday morning. That is about a 30-degree difference from Thursday morning.

Saturday snow forecast

Saturday looks like a gray, chilly day with off-and-on rain and snow showers. The snow could start in some areas as early as the predawn hours and the last drops and flakes will last until just after sunset.

Ground temperatures will be borderline (low to mid 30s) therefore, we expect rain to mix in at times, particularly inside of I-95 and over southeastern Mass.

Best chance of seeing the snow whiten the ground would be areas north and west of I-95. We are calling for a general coating to 2" in this zone, with the best chance of 2" being in the higher elevations.

Close call with Sunday night snowstorm

You may have heard some rumblings about a potential coastal storm late in the weekend. Indeed, there is going to be a very powerful storm forming off the East Coast on Sunday.   

Any impacts to the Eastern Seaboard will be highly dependent upon the track of this system.

A difference of just 50-100 miles will make a huge difference as far as snow goes here in southern New England.  

Confidence is increasing Thursday in a track far enough offshore to minimize the impacts here.  

The most likely scenario is either a complete miss or a fringe to southeastern Massachusetts.  

Odds of a track closer to the coast and a big snowstorm are waning and less than 10%.

Given this, the best chance of any snow accumulation will be greatest over far southeastern Mass., essentially the Cape and Islands.

As you go north from there, the chances of seeing any snow get less and less.   

If the Cape were to catch the northern "fringe" of the storm, we would see some light accumulation, something along the lines of 1-3".

Patriots vs. Texans game weather forecast

Conditions at Gillette Stadium on Sunday look pretty tame by New England standards in January. The New England Patriots are set to take on the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs at 3 p.m.

Temperatures will be in the low to mid 30s, winds will generally not be a factor and partly sunny skies will give way to increasing cloud cover during the afternoon and evening.

The risk of any snow is very low. Those leaving the game and headed south and east may encounter some very light flurries.

What's next?

An Arctic blast is coming next week. It will be a very different week than this past one. 

Temperatures will be well below average for several days. There are no big storms in the forecast just yet.