The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for interior Massachusetts in advance of a storm that is expected to bring heavy, wet snow to part of Southern New England this weekend. The storm has the potential for 6″+ of snow west and north of Boston. The National Weather Service office in Taunton, MA expects the snow to be moisture-laden and heavy, increasing the chances for scattered downed trees and limbs that could cause power outages. As of 7 am Friday, there were no other watches or advisories in effect in Southern New England. Read the full update from the NWS below.
...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HEAVY WET SNOW THAT MAY RESULT IN DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES LATE SATURDAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON... MAZ002>012-014-026-NHZ011-012-015-221700- /O.NEW.KBOX.WS.A.0004.130223T1900Z-130224T1900Z/ WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA- CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA- WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA- EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA- NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-CHESHIRE NH-EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH- WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLEMONT...GREENFIELD...ORANGE... BARRE...FITCHBURG...FRAMINGHAM...LOWELL...LAWRENCE...GLOUCESTER... CHESTERFIELD...BLANDFORD...AMHERST...NORTHAMPTON...SPRINGFIELD... MILFORD...WORCESTER...CAMBRIDGE...AYER...JAFFREY...KEENE... MANCHESTER...NASHUA...PETERBOROUGH...WEARE 354 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2013 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. * LOCATIONS...SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...WESTERN AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AS WELL AS NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS. * HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW. * ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE. * TIMING...SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...WHEN 1 TO 2 INCH PER HOUR SNOWFALL RATES WILL BE POSSIBLE. ITS POSSIBLE THAT THE SNOW MAY BRIEFLY MIX WITH RAIN FOR A TIME NEAR AND JUST SOUTH OF THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE. THE SNOW SHOULD TAPER OFF TO SNOW SHOWERS FROM WEST TO EAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON. * IMPACTS...THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THIS WILL BE A HEAVY WET SNOW. THIS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES. UNTREATED ROADS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY. * WINDS...NORTHEAST 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. * TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED FOR THE POTENTIAL OF ACCUMULATING SNOW OF 6 OR MORE INCHES IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD...OR 8 OR MORE INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. ANYONE TRAVELING IN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO MODIFY TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD WINTER WEATHER DEVELOP.