Here we go again!

From: Rich Curtis Templeton Emergency Management  Director

 

MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS STATEMENT
FEBRUARY 11, 2014  4:45 PM

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:

A winter storm will affect southern New England Thursday into Thursday night.  This storm is anticipated to impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes and potentially cause power outages, downed tree limbs, beach erosion, and pockets of minor coastal flooding.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for Hampden, Franklin, Middlesex, Worcester, Essex, Norfolk, Hampshire, and Bristol Counties through Friday morning.


Timing:
·         Snow will likely start around 4-5AM Thursday.  Heavier snow will begin by 8AM.

·         The storm is forecast to have a low to moderate impact on the Thursday morning commute, and a significant impact on the Thursday evening commute.

·         Snow will change to a wintry mix and then rain along and east of the Hartford - Worcester - Boston line from late morning into the afternoon Thursday.  Note that some uncertainty still exists in the weather forecast, so the exact location of the predicted rain-snow line may shift.

·         Precipitation will change back to snow in the afternoon/evening before tapering off Thursday night.


Snowfall:
·         Potential for snow amounts of 8 to 14 inches across western and central MA.

·         Potential for up to 6-8 inches along and just west of the Boston-Providence corridor with lesser amounts to the south and east.

Heavy, wet consistency to the snowfall.  Power outages and downed tree limbs are likely to occur.
Snowfall rates of up to 1-2 inches per hour are possible.
Wind:
·         Northeast winds of 35 to 45mph, with gusts to 50 mph possible along the coast.

The strongest winds are forecast to occur on the Cape and Islands Thursday afternoon and evening.
Largest impacts expected across northeastern Massachusetts due to the combination of strong winds and heavy snow.
Coastal Flooding:
·         Astronomical tides are low but a 2 foot surge and seas up to 15-20 feet offshore may result in splashover or minor coastal flooding along the Massachusetts coast from approximately Salisbury to Scituate during the Thursday night high tide (around 11 pm).

·         Beach erosion is a concern due to the high seas just offshore.



MEMA Operations:

MEMA’s Emergency Operations Center is currently at Level I (Steady State/Monitoring).  MEMA continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as necessary.

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There can't be much money left in the Snow & Ice account