This clipper system is fast but delivers power. Parts of southern New England could generally see 1 to 6 inches of snow, with more at higher elevations. Winter storm warnings have been issued for southwestern Vermont and northern Maine and winter weather warnings have been issued for parts of Massachusetts and northern New England, beginning tonight and continuing through Thursday.

The snow may become heavy at times and fall in spurts, resulting in snow squalls that quickly and severely reduce visibility on the roads.

This storm is a classic Alberta clipper setup: a low pressure system that developed from the Canadian Rockies and organized over Alberta. These systems tend to be small but are notoriously fast-moving – in fact, they got their nickname from 19th-century clipper ships, which were considered the fastest ships in the world at the time.

Boston and much of New England can expect light precipitation starting Wednesday evening. Most of the heaviest snow and rain will occur overnight. As you head out the door Thursday morning, there’s a chance of scattered rain and snow showers, which could make for a slippery commute. So plan enough time on the roads. By Thursday afternoon most of the precipitation will have subsided.

Because these storms originate in Canada, there is typically a limited amount of moisture, so snow amounts are likely to be between 1 and 4 inches in most areas. The snow is expected to accumulate and spread a distance south of I-90 and close to I-495 or even I-95. All in all, Boston, Worcester, Providence and Hartford were able to see a brief layering before warm ground, a wintry mix and cold rain melted away any snow that might be present.

Boston/Greater Boston Area — A mix of rain, a wintry mix and a few snowflakes at times. There could be at most an inch of snow in the city, which will eventually be washed away by rain.

Central/Western Mass. — West of I-495 will likely only see snow from this storm, about 1 to 4 inches. Some mountain towns along Route 2 in Central Mass. and through Franklin County in Western Mass. could sneak up to 6 inches of snow. The Berkshires could see 8 to 12 inches.

Cape Cod — There will be intermittent rain and maybe a few snowflakes at the Cape, but that is unlikely.

Rhode Island— Most of the state will see light rain, with totals expected to be under half an inch. A few snow showers are possible between Providence and the Massachusetts border, but this snowpack should eventually wash off or melt away.

Northern New England – About 15 cm of snow could fall in parts of northern New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, with 20 cm to 30 cm at higher elevations as the storm strengthens as it moves away from the region.

At lower elevations, such as west of I-495 and north of the Rhode Island-Connecticut border, snow should be able to reach the ground if very strong cold air is present.

Rainfall totals for southern New England will be light at about a quarter of an inch. Closer to the Cape there could be more than half an inch of rainfall.

Clipper storms typically bring cold air and gusty winds because the storms are so dense and create a steep pressure gradient as they pass. This low is expected to strengthen as it passes north of us and that will actually result in stronger winds, producing gusts of up to 40 mph or more overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning.

The gusty winds will make the already cold air feel even more brutal, bringing wind chills in the 20s and teens for much of Thursday across the region.

Coming from western Canada, the storm will move bitterly cold air into the region as it moves counterclockwise. Friday and Saturday’s highs may not exceed the freezing mark in Boston, with readings even colder to the north and west. You can also expect overnight temperatures to drop into the teens Friday through Saturday in the Greater Boston area, with some single-digit temperatures in northern New England. Just look at Friday’s highs:

Southern New England: A calm and cold start to the day with partly to mostly sunny skies. Clouds will form in the early afternoon and there will be isolated showers in the area around the commuter home. In the evening there will be heavy rain and snow in the region, and the wind will increase. I-95 and the east will likely see mostly cold rain, with perhaps a few snowflakes or a layer of snow from Boston to Providence, with the rain-snow line forming over Norwood, Dedham, Walpole, Foxborough and Attleboro . There will be no more than an inch of snow on I-495 and east. In Rhode Island and Connecticut south of Hartford it was only supposed to rain. Wind gusts will increase overnight into Thursday.

Central fair: After a dry and calm start to the day with changing clouds, Central Mass should see some snowfall later tonight. Temperatures will stagnate in the mid 30s, but a breeze will pick up later tonight as the storm arrives. During the journey home there will be isolated snow showers in the region, but these will remain very light and should not disrupt the journey home. Snow totals could range from 1 to 4 inches, with small pockets near Route 2 seeing up to 6 inches of snow by Thursday morning.

Western fair: Increasing cloudiness with temperatures in the lower to mid 30s. A few light snow showers will push into the Berkshires between 3 and 5 p.m., then strengthen shortly after dinner. A total of between 2 and 4 inches of snow could fall across much of the western range, with locally higher amounts approaching Greenfield and North Adams, where up to half a foot could be possible.

Cape and Islands: The predominantly sunny sky will lead to cloud formation in the afternoon. Most of the day will remain dry, with a risk of isolated rain showers after dinner. There will be more widespread rainfall on the Cape overnight, with some heavy rainfall mixed in as well. Much of the area will see 1 inch or more of rain. Gusty winds will also develop later tonight, with some gusts reaching speeds of 30 to 40 mph.

Northern New England: Isolated snow showers will move into Vermont during the afternoon and spread eastward through the evening, with snowfall rates increasing. A strong southerly flow will bring rain up the coast as far as I-95, with much warmer air moving in from the Gulf of Maine. The combination of available moisture, southerly flow, varying terrain and elevation will result in at least 2 to 8 inches of snow, with more snow in isolated areas of northern New England. There will be less snow across Vermont on Thursday morning, but New Hampshire and Maine could still see precipitation through the early afternoon.

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Ken Mahan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.