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National Weather Service issues Winter Storm Watch

A moderate to heavy snowstorm is in the forecast for most of Southern New England this weekend. Arctic air will continue to settle into Southern New England Friday night setting the stage for a snowy Saturday late-afternoon into early Sunday. Snow may be heavy at times Saturday night, and there is a lower chance of rain or mixed precipitation away from the coast. The National Weather Service office in Taunton, MA has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the potential for more than 6″ of snow in most of Southern New England.

Winter Storm Watch from late Saturday into early Sunday
Winter Storm Watch from late Saturday into early Sunday

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National Weather Service Snow Forecast – Click here for the Right Weather Forecast
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
438 AM EST FRI DEC 13 2013

...A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW FOLLOWED BY SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN
POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY...

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>018-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>003-131745-
/O.CON.KBOX.WS.A.0008.131214T1700Z-131215T1600Z/
HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-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-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-
SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-
WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-CHESHIRE NH-
EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH-WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-
NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARTFORD...WINDSOR LOCKS...UNION...
VERNON...PUTNAM...WILLIMANTIC...CHARLEMONT...GREENFIELD...
ORANGE...BARRE...FITCHBURG...FRAMINGHAM...LOWELL...LAWRENCE...
GLOUCESTER...CHESTERFIELD...BLANDFORD...AMHERST...NORTHAMPTON...
SPRINGFIELD...MILFORD...WORCESTER...FOXBORO...NORWOOD...
CAMBRIDGE...BOSTON...QUINCY...TAUNTON...BROCKTON...AYER...
JAFFREY...KEENE...MANCHESTER...NASHUA...PETERBOROUGH...WEARE...
FOSTER...SMITHFIELD...PROVIDENCE...WEST GREENWICH
438 AM EST FRI DEC 13 2013

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...

* LOCATIONS...MOST OF CONNECTICUT...RHODE ISLAND...MASSACHUSETTS
  AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF HARTFORD...
  PROVIDENCE...BOSTON...WORCESTER...SPRINGFIELD...NASHUA AND
  MANCHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE.

* HAZARD TYPES...A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW FOLLOWED BY SLEET AND 
  FREEZING RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 12 INCHES...ALONG 
  WITH A TRACE TO A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE.

* TIMING...SNOW OVERSPREADS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND SATURDAY 
  AFTERNOON AND THEN BECOMES STEADIER AND HEAVIER SATURDAY NIGHT 
  INTO SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW 
  WILL LIKELY CHANGE TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN FOR A TIME LATE 
  SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS CONNECTICUT...RHODE 
  ISLAND AND POSSIBLY AS FAR NORTH AS THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE 
  INCLUDING THE GREATER BOSTON AREA.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL LIKELY BECOME DIFFICULT AND TREACHEROUS 
  LATE SATURDAY

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH. 
  STRONGEST WINDS ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE 20S BUT RISING INTO THE LOWER AND MID 
  30S ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS.

* VISIBILITIES...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES IN HEAVY 
  SNOW. THERE WILL ALSO BE A PERIOD OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW 
  ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS GIVEN THE GUSTY 
  NORTHEAST WINDS.

* UNCERTAINTY...IT IS STILL UNKNOWN HOW FAR INLAND A WINTRY MIX 
  WILL OCCUR. THIS WILL GREATLY IMPACT EXACT SNOWFALL TOTALS. 
  NEVERTHELESS A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW FOLLOWED BY SLEET AND 
  FREEZING RAIN WILL CREATE TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS 
  SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY.

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.

Fred Campagna

President and Chief Meteorologist - Right Weather LLC AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist #756 AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist #126

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