Winter Storm Watch: Up to 12 Inches + High Winds Expected Thurs.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

GoLocalWorcester Weather Team

Southern New England can expect up to a foot of snow with wind gusts of up to 35 MPH starting Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for much of Southern New England, effective Thursday morning through Friday morning.

From the National Weather Service:

Winter Storm Watch

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
351 PM EST TUE FEB 11 2014

...STRONG WINTER STORM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND EARLY
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY MORNING...

MAZ002>006-008>013-026-NHZ011-012-015-120500-
/O.NEW.KBOX.WS.A.0005.140213T1200Z-140214T1200Z/
WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-
CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK 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...
CHESTERFIELD...BLANDFORD...AMHERST...NORTHAMPTON...SPRINGFIELD...
MILFORD...WORCESTER...FOXBORO...NORWOOD...AYER...JAFFREY...
KEENE...MANCHESTER...NASHUA...PETERBOROUGH...WEARE
351 PM EST TUE FEB 11 2014

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING.

* LOCATIONS...INCLUDE WESTERN...CENTRAL...EASTERN AND NORTHEASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS...AS WELL AS SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW POSSIBLY MIXING WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN
FOR AREAS ALONG A LINE FROM SPRINGFIELD TO WORCESTER MA
NORTHEAST TO MANCHESTER NH.

* ACCUMULATIONS...OF 8 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH
AROUND A TRACE OF ICE. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY FALL ALONG THE
EAST SLOPES OF HIGHER TERRAIN. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES
PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN TO FALL AFTER MIDNIGHT THURSDAY PICKING
UP IN INTENSITY THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT.
LOCATIONS AROUND SPRINGFIELD AND WORCESTER MA...TOWARDS
MANCHESTER NH MAY SEE A PERIOD OF A WINTRY MIX OF SLEET AND
FREEZING RAIN BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO SNOW.

* IMPACTS...VISIBILITIES DOWN TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS WITH SNOW
ARE POSSIBLE. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT EARLY THURSDAY INTO
FRIDAY MORNING.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

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.

Related Slideshow: Top 10 Blizzards in MA History

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10. Blizzard of 2006

Max Accumulation: Approximately 22"

February 11-13, 2006

Arriving on the evening of Feb. 13, this Nor’easter resulted in heavy snow, coastal flooding and a storm surge in Massachusetts. Wilbraham was the hardest hit area receiving more than 22 inches of snow.

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9. Blizzard of 2010

Max Accumulation: Approximately 24"

December 22-29, 2010

This historic blizzard brought as much as two feet of snow to parts of Massachusetts and caused Boston to declare a State of Emergency.

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8. Winter Storm Nemo

Max Accumulation: Approximately 25"

February 7-18, 2013

Total snowfall in Boston reached nearly 25 inches, making it the fifth-highest total ever recorded in the city.

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7. 1969 Nor’easter

Max Accumulation: Approximately 26"

February 8-10, 1969

This storm blanketed many parts of Massachusetts with upwards of 20 inches of snow, including 26.3 in Boston.

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6. Blizzard of 2003

Max Accumulation: Approximately 27.5"

February 14-19, 2013

Know as the President’s Day Storm II, this blizzard brought a record-setting 27.5 inches of snow to Boston.

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5. Blizzard of 1996

Max Accumulation: Approximately 30"

Jan. 6-10, 1996

One of two blizzards to receive an “extreme” rating on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, this storm blanketing parts of Western Massachusetts with upwards of 30 inches of snow.

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4. Blizzard of 1978

Max Accumulation: Approximately 32"

February 5-7, 1978

This historic nor’easter brought a then-record 27.1 inches of snowfall to Boston and over 32 inches to Rockport. Additionally, the storm killed 73 Bay State residents.

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3. April Fool's Day Blizzard

Max Accumulation: Approximately 33"

March 30 to April 1, 1997

This blizzard was no joke, dropping a record-breaking 33 inches on Worcester.

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2. Blizzard of 2005

Max Accumulation: Approximately 40"

January 20-23, 2005

This three-day storm delivered more than 40 inches of snow in Mashpee, Massachusetts, one of the hardest hit areas. Some portions of Massachusetts reported 6 foot snow drifts.

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1. Great Blizzard of 1888

Max Accumulation: Approximately 50"

March 11-14, 1888

One of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the United States, this superstorm dumped as much as 50 inches of snow in parts of Massachusetts.