Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service
...BARNSTABLE MA-BLOCK ISLAND RI-BRISTOL RI-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY MA- DUKES MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN KENT RI-EASTERN NORFOLK MA- EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-NANTUCKET MA-NEWPORT RI-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA- NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA- SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA- SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-SUFFOLK MA-WASHINGTON RI-WESTERN ESSEX MA- WESTERN KENT RI-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF... ATTLEBOROUGH... BARNSTABLE... BARRINGTON... BEVERLY... BOSTON... BRISTOL... BROCKTON... BROOKLINE... CAMBRIDGE... FALL RIVER... FALMOUTH... FRAMINGHAM... FRANKLIN... GLOUCESTER... LAWRENCE... LOWELL... LYNN... MILFORD... NANTUCKET... NEW BEDFORD... NEWBURYPORT... NEWPORT... NEWTON... NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH... PLYMOUTH... PROVIDENCE... QUINCY... SOMERVILLE... SOUTH KINGSTOWN... TAUNTON... VINEYARD HAVEN... WALTHAM... WARWICK... WEYMOUTH... WOONSOCKET AND WORCESTER 846 AM EST SUN JAN 23 2005 ... BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING...
AN EXTREME SITUATION IS OCCURRING IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS. FOUR INCHES OF SNOW WAS REPORTED IN 25 MINUTES AT CHELMSFORD MASSACHUSETTS SHORTLY AFTER 7 AM AS THE LAST EXCESSIVE BAND OF POWDERY SNOW SWINGS SOUTHEASTWARD.
THE NORTH SHORE IS BEING BLITZED BY SNOWFALL RATES OF ALMOST 4 INCHES PER HOUR. IT MAY LAST ONLY ANOTHER HOUR OR TWO BUT ITS A COMPLETE SHORT TERM PARALYSER.
IT IS SPREADING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH INTO BOSTON NOW AND WILL CONTINUE THERE THROUGH AT LEAST 11 AM. THIS BIG SNOW BAND WILL ARRIVE ON THE SOUTH SHORE BETWEEN 10 AM AND 11 AM AND THEN CROSS THE UPPER CAPE BETWEEN 11 AM AND 2 PM. IT TENDS TO LAST ABOUT 2 HOURS. THAT MEANS 8 INCHES OF SNOW MAY FALL IN PORTIONS OF THE BOSTON AREA IN A 2 HOUR PERIOD DURING MID AND LATE MORNING.
FINAL BLIZZARD TOTALS FOR MOST OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 28 AND 38 INCHES SETTING A NEW SINGLE STORM RECORD FOR BOSTON... SURPASSING THE AMOUNT FROM THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF 78 AND THE PRESIDENTS DAY STORM OF 2003.
ISOLATED TOTALS OF 40 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. VULNERABLE LOCATIONS FOR NEARLY 40 INCH STORM TOTALS ARE ESSEX... MIDDLESEX... PLYMOUTH... NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE COUNTIES IN MASSACHUSETTS.
EVEN IF THIS STORM COMES UP SLIGHTLY SHORT OF RECORD... IT IS A DANGEROUS STORM WITH THE WORST OCCURRING NOW INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS WINDS STRENGTHEN AND TEMPERATURES FALL TO NEAR 10 ABOVE.
NANTUCKET MAY END UP WITH ONLY 12 TO 22 INCHES... BUT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DESCEND ON THAT ISLAND LATER THIS MORNING OR THIS AFTERNOON.
NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BE GUSTING AROUND 75 MPH ON BARNSTABLE AND NANTUCKET COUNTIES. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LIFE THREATENING STORM BECAUSE OF SEVERE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE NEWLY FALLEN SNOW AND TUMBLING TEMPERATURES.
SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES HAVE OCCURRED THIS MORNING AS WINDS ALL ALONG THE COAST GUST BETWEEN 55 AND 65 MPH ON BOSTONS NORTH AND SOUTH SHORES AND EVEN ON NARRAGANSETT BAY. A 78 MPH WIND GUST WAS REPORTED IN EAST FALMOUTH BY A SPOTTER.
THERE HAS BEEN ISOLATED DAMAGE REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
POWER OUTAGES MAY BECOME WIDESPREAD THIS AFTERNOON ON THE CAPE AND NANTUCKET WHEN THE BRUNT OF WIND HITS THERE... BETWEEN 75 AND 80 MPH.
DRIFTS OF AT LEAST 6 FEET ARE OCCURRING.
OVER CAPE COD... NANTUCKET AND MARTHAS VINEYARD... THE SNOW HAS BEEN OF A WETTER CONSISTENCY EARLY TODAY AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME RAIN ON NANTUCKET. THIS RAISES THE ANTE FOR POWER OUTAGES IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND WITH THE SNOW CLINGING TO WIRES AND BRANCHES.
ALL THE HEAVY SNOW WILL TAPER TO SNOW SHOWERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING... BUT CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING WILL PERSIST INTO LATE THIS EVENING ACROSS EXPOSED AREAS.
THERE IS A CHANCE OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CONTINUING ON PARTS OF CAPE COD INTO EARLY TONIGHT AS HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS POUND PARTS OF THE CAPE. A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF OVER 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND/OR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS OCCUR AT TIMES. THOSE VENTURING OUTDOORS MAY BECOME LOST OR DISORIENTED... SO PERSONS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS.
We are having a doozy of a storm. We got a double dose because of our proximity to the ocean. First the storm came from the West, went out to sea and turned back to become a dreaded "Nor'Easter".
It seems to have nearly stopped and the wind is not as bad as it was so I am contemplating going out to use the snowblower. Maybe? Maybe I'll wait till tomorrow.
At least we haven't lost electricity so I am comfortable inside. I hired some kid to shovel my deck, steps, and a path to the garage.
Some people on the South Shore got it much worse than we did so I can't really complain.
It would have been fun if the Patriots & Steelers had to play in Foxboro. It is like last year's "snow-bowl" with Miami.