Hello to all..

..Moderate to Possibly Heavy Snowstorm to affect Southern New England Saturday Afternoon through Early Sunday Morning..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from Noon Saturday to 7 AM Sunday for Windham County Connecticut, all of Rhode Island and Essex, Central/Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth and Southern Worcester Counties for 4-8 inches of snow with isolated higher amounts of 8-12 inches possible in interior Southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from Noon Saturday to 7 AM Sunday for Southern New Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts and Hartford and Tolland Counties of Connecticut for 3-6″ of snow..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from Noon today to 7 AM Sunday for Barnstable County Massachusetts and Block Island Rhode Island for 2-4 Inches of Snow. In this area mixed precipitation or rain at the start will hold down accumulations but if the rain quickly changes to snow and no mixing occurs, higher amounts would be possible..
..Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island are expected to receive amounts under 3″ so there are no Winter Weather Advisories in effect for this region..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation for snowfall totals is likely today through early Sunday. Since the storm is currently not expected to be damaging with wind gusts remaining under 40 MPH, Ops at NWS Taunton are unlikely to be utilized but this will be monitored as we approach the storm event..

A moderate to potentially heavy winter snowstorm will impact much of Southern New England Saturday Afternoon through early Sunday Morning. The headlines above outline the warnings, advisories and snowfall amounts for around the region. The heaviest snowfall region wide is expected between 5 PM Saturday Evening and 1 AM Sunday Morning. It is noted that the potential for heaviest snowfall accumulations remain just inland from the south and east coasts of Massachusetts however if no mixing/changeover to rain occurs and precipitation over Cape Cod does not start as rain or precipitation quickly changes to snow, heavier amounts could occur at the coasts and will be monitored closely. It is noted that the storm as it intensifies may slow a bit which may also allow for heavier snowfall amounts across portions of Eastern New England particularly in interior Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts but at the coasts as well if it remains all snow.

The Winter Weather Advisories were expanded to include Southern New Hampshire on the northern end and Block Island Rhode Island on the southern end of the coverage area due to latest weather model guidance. At this time, Martha’s Vineyeard and Nantucket Island are expected to receive snowfall amounts under 3″ precluding Winter Weather Advisories for this area.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with net call-ups on various SKYWARN repeaters will be done for this event. Since the storm does not appear to be damaging with winds gusts expected to be under 40 MPH, Ops at NWS Taunton don’t appear to be necessary but this will be monitored as we get closer to the storm event. This will be the last coordination message on this storm event unless a significant upgrade to the situation occurs. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory statement, Snowfall Prediction Map, and Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Prediction Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

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Hello to all..

..Another Winter Storm Taking Aim on Southern New England..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect for Saturday Morning through Sunday Morning for Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island except for Block Island for 4-8″ of snow with isolated higher amounts possible..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 10 AM Saturday to 7 AM Sunday for Northern Connecticut, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Essex, Middlesex, and Barnstable Counties of Massachusetts for 3-5″ of snow with isolated higher amounts possible across the Metro Boston area and East Coastal Massachusetts..
..Block Island RI, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket Island may see 1-3″ of snow from this storm system as precipitation is expected to change over to rain and be the predominant form of precipitation over this area..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible for this storm while SKYWARN Self-Activation is likely for snowfall measurements and any change in precipitation type during the storm. Overnight operations are unlikely since this does not look to be a damaging storm system but this will be monitored..

Over the past several days, computer weather models have been struggling with a track of a storm system for this weekend. There is now better agreement among the models that a storm will impact the region but there are still some uncertainities that are bit higher than normal at this short time range with this winter storm system. A low pressure system will emerge out off of the Southern Atlantic coast and begin to intensify offshore. At this time, some of the intensification affects will be felt over portions of Southern New England but not the full intensification period due to the speed of the system and the timing of the intensification process. Therefore, at this time, the storm is expected to bring a plowable snowfall to much of the region with a moderate snowstorm likely but if this process or timing were to change it could result in a heavier or lighter snowfall and this is something the models now appear to be in better agreement on but will bear watching as the storm moves into the region.

A Winter Storm Watch has been posted for all of mainland Rhode Island, Southern Worcester, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties of Massachusetts for Saturday Morning to Sunday Morning. Snow, heavy at times is expected with the heaviest precipitation falling Saturday Night ending around or before sunrise Sunday Morning. Total snowfall of 4-8″ are expected with isolated higher amounts possible. The higher amounts may be just inland of the east and south coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island where as the snow is expected to be heavier and wetter at the coast with some potential of rain mixing in especially close to the Cape Cod Canal area. If no mixing occurs, higher amounts of snowfall would also be possible in the east and south coastal Massachusetts areas and this will need monitoring during the storm event and in future model runs.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 10 AM Saturday to 7 AM Sunday for Northern Connecticut, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Essex, Middlesex, and Barnstable Counties of Massachusetts for 3-5″ of snow with isolated higher amounts possible across the Metro Boston area and East Coastal Massachusetts. For the Northern Connecticut and Massachusetts portions of the Winter Weather Advisory area, a few inches of snow is expected and this is a high confidence expectation. For the area from Metro Boston to the North Shore, this is also high confidence but a slightly closer storm track or ocean enhancement may lead to higher amounts of snowfall. For Barnstable County/Cape Cod, this will depend on the precipitation type. The current forecast has mixing with and possibly a change to rain in this area. If precipitation were to remain all snow, much higher snowfall amounts would be possible and this will need to be monitored during the storm event and in future model runs.

Block Island RI, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket Island may see 1-3″ of snow from this storm system as precipitation is expected to change over to rain and be the predominant form of precipitation over this area. This will need to be monitored in case precipitation holds on as snow and allow for additional accumulations than currently expected depending on the track of the storm and amount of cold air available.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible for this storm while SKYWARN Self-Activation is likely for snowfall measurements and any change in precipitation type during the storm. Overnight operations are unlikely since this does not look to be a damaging storm system but this will be monitored. The next coordination message will be posted by Noon Saturday. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Watch/Winter Weather Advisory Statement, Snowfall Map, and Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Watch/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

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Hello to all..

..Major Winter Storm will affect the region tonight through Thursday Evening. Additional Watches/Warnings/Advisories issued and adjusted with snowfall amounts adjusted slightly upward..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 PM tonight through 1 AM Friday for Southern New Hampshire. Snowfall amounts have been adjusted slightly upward to 12-18 inches with isolated higher amounts with a trace of ice still expected..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 PM tonight through 1 AM Friday for Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts. Snowfall amounts have been adjusted upwards to 8-12″ of snow with isolated higher amounts and around a tenth inch of ice. The Isolated higher amounts of snow are likely to be along and north of the Rte 2 corridor and in areas west of the Connecticut River Valley..
..A Winter Storm Warning has now been issued from 7 PM tonight until 1 AM Friday for Central Middlesex, Western Essex and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for 4-8 inches of snow along with a trace of ice..
..A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 7 PM tonight through 1 AM Friday for Northern Connecticut and has been expanded to include Northwest Providence County Rhode Island for 2-5″ inches of snow and up to one-quarter inch of radial ice. In this area precipitation is expected to changeover to sleet and freezing rain and possibly to rain which is is why snow and ice amounts are lower in this area but this area will be near the transition zone between snow/ice versus rain and will need to be monitored closely during the storm event..
..A High Wind Warning is now in effect from 10 PM tonight through 11 AM Thursday for Eastern Essex, Eastern Plymouth, Counties of Massachusetts and all of South Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island including Cape Cod and the Islands and Bristol County Rhode Island for sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH. These winds could cause isolated to scattered tree and power line damage and possible isolated to scattered power outages..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect from 10 PM tonight through 11 AM Thursday for Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Northern Bristol and Western Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. A Wind Advisory is also in effect from 10 PM tonight through 7 AM Thursday for Kent and Southeast Providence Counties of Rhode Island for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. These winds may cause isolated tree and power line damage with possible isolated power outages..
..A Coastal Flood Advisory is now in effect from 8 AM to Noon Thursday Morning for East Coastal Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Nanctucket Island for minor coastal flooding and splashover at the time of the Thursday high tide cycle..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton will commence at 7 PM tonight. Due to the fact that strong to damaging winds and heaviest precipitation is expected overnight through Thursday Morning and volunteer resources are available, overnight Ops for this storm will be done for this event with ops ending some time during Thursday Afternoon or early evening depending on storm evolution. This will be the last coordination message as we enter storm operations..

A major winter storm will affect Southern New England tonight through Thursday Evening. Since the last coordination message, snowfall amounts have been adjusted slightly upward with Winter Storm Warnings now covering into the I-495 corridor and Winter Weather Advisories brought further south and east into Northwest Rhode Island. Therefore the region along and north of the Mass. Pike and now north and west of the 128 corridor is likely to get the heaviest snow and ice accumulations from this storm event. The headlines above depict the current storm threats, snow/ice accumulations and potential for strong to damaging winds across portions of East Coastal and Southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is noted that areas not under Winter Storm Warnings/Winter Weather Advisories from Rhode Island into East Coastal and Southeast Massachusetts will see a brief period of snow/sleet with 1-3″ of snow/sleet that will quickly changeover to a windswept rain with rainfall in the 1-2″ range with isolated higher amounts of 2.5-3.00 inches possible. This rainfall may cause brief urban and poor drainage flooding. The High Wind Watch has been converted to High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories for portions of Eastern New England as highlighted in the above headlines.

It is noted that the transition zone between heavy snow, any potential significant icing and heavy rainfall could vary and precipitation type information in addition to snow and ice totals will be helpful as models still have some fluctations on where this transition zone will setup. Also, it is currently unclear whether the consistency of the snow will be heavy and wet or if ice accretion issues could be more than currently forecasted causing any kind of tree and power line damage in the Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory areas. These items will need to be sorted during the storm via surface spotter and Ham Radio reports. In the High Wind Warning/Wind advisory areas, there is likely to be some isolated to scattered pockets of tree and power line damage and power outages so wind measurement/wind damage reports will also be helpful. Also, if there are pictures from this storm event, they can be posted via pics@nsradio.org for distribution to emergency management, media and NWS.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton will commence at 7 PM tonight. Due to the fact that strong to damaging winds and heaviest precipitation is expected overnight through Thursday Morning and volunteer resources are available, overnight Ops for this storm will be done for this event with ops ending some time during Thursday Afternoon or early evening depending on storm evolution. This will be the last coordination message as we enter storm operations.

Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory statement, High Wind Warning/Wind Advisory Statement, Coastal Flood Advisory Statement, Snowfall prediction map and Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton High Wind Warning/Wind Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Coastal Flood Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

Read more

Hello to all..

..Major Winter Storm to affect the region tonight through Thursday Evening. Additional Watches/Warning/Advisories issued..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 PM tonight through 1 AM Friday for Southern New Hampshire for 10-14 inches of snow and a trace of ice..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 7 PM tonight through 1 AM Friday for Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts for 6-10″ of snow and a tenth inch of ice. Isolated higher amounts of snow are possible along and north of the Rte 2 corridor and in areas west of the Connecticut River Valley..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 7 PM tonight through 1 AM Friday for Northern Connecticut, Central Middlesex, Western Essex and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for 2-4″ inches of snow and a trace of ice. A potential mix to changeover to rain in this area is why snow and ice amounts are lower in this area but this area will be near the transition zone between snow/ice versus rain and will need to be monitored closely during the storm event..
..A High Wind Watch is now in effect from tonight through Thursday Afternoon for Eastern Essex, Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Eastern Norfolk Counties of Massachusetts and Bristol County Rhode Island. A High Wind Watch remains in effect for South Coastal Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the islands for sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts to 55-60 MPH. These winds could cause isolated to scattered tree and power line damage and possible power outages..
..Minor Coastal flooding/splashover is possible on the Thursday Morning high tide across north and east facing beaches of East Coastal Massachusetts..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely tonight from roughly 7 PM-Midnight and again Thursday Morning from 5 AM through Thursday Evening. At this time, overnight Ops are not anticipated but this will be monitored closely and updated in another coordination message issued by 6 PM Wednesday Evening..

A major winter storm will affect Southern New England tonight through Thursday Evening. The region along and north of the Mass. Pike and north and west of the I-495 corridor is likely to get the heaviest snow and ice accumulations from this storm event. The headlines above depict the current storm threats, snow/ice accumulations and potential for strong to damaging winds across portions of East Coastal and Southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is noted that areas not under Winter Storm Warnings/Winter Weather Advisories from Rhode Island into East Coastal and Southeast Massachusetts will see a brief period of snow/sleet that will quickly changeover to a windswept rain with rainfall in the 1-2″ range with isolated higher amounts. This rainfall may cause brief urban and poor drainage flooding. Also, the High Wind Watch area has been expanded to include East Coastal Massachusetts and Bristol County Rhode Island.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely tonight and Thursday Morning into Thursday Evening. At this time, overnight Ops are not anticipated but this is still under review and being monitored closely. This will be detailed in the next coordination message issued by 6 PM this evening.

Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory statement, High Wind Watch Statement, Snowfall prediction map and Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton High Wind Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

Read more

Hello to all..

..Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators and thanks to those who provided pictures of the light snowfall that occurred over much of Southern New England..
..Major Winter Storm will impact Southern New England Wednesday Evening into Thursday bringing Heavy Snow/Mixed Preciptation, potential for strong to damaging winds and heavy rainfall at the coast and possibly minor coastal flooding to north and east facing coastal locations..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect for Southern New Hampshire from 7 PM Wednesday through 1 AM Friday Morning for Heavy snowfall. Total accumulations of 10 to 14 inches of snow are expected..
..A Winter Storm Watch has been expanded and is now in effect from Wednseday Evening through late Thursday Night for Franklin, Worcester, Hampshire, Hampden, Northern and Central Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts and all of Northern Connecticut for 4-8″ of snow except for amounts up to 12″ in the northern parts of the Winter Storm Watch area and around a trace to possibly 1/4″ of ice..
..A High Wind Watch remains in effect from Wednesday Afternoon through Thursday Morning for Southeast Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands and South Coastal Rhode Island for sustained winds from 30-40 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely Wednesday Evening into Thursday Evening..

A much more potent coastal storm is still expected to affect Southern New England Wednesday Evening into Thursday Evening. Models have been trending colder and a bit more to the east with the storm and this has resulted in expanding the Winter Storm Watches further south and the issuance of a Winter Storm Warning for Southern New Hampshire for 10-14″ of snow and winds of 10-20 MPH with gusts to 40 MPH possible. Little or no ice is expected in Southern New Hampshire.

A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Evening through Thursday Evening for Franklin, Worcester, Hampshire, Hampden, Northern and Central Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts and all of Northern Connecticut for 4-8″ of snow and a trace to possibly 1/4″ of ice. The northern parts of the Winter Storm Watch area from Franklin to Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties and through Western Hampshire and Western Hampden Counties could see amounts greater than 8″ up to 12″. Winds will be 10-20 MPH with gusts to 45 MPH possible.

Across areas outside of the Winter Storm Watch area through the Boston to Providence corridor, a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain with some snow and ice accumulation expected before some areas particularly closest to the Boston to Providence corridor to the south coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island changes over to rain. Cape Cod and the Islands will see a period of mix precipitation before it changes over to a windswept rain. All of this is dependent on the track of the coastal storm which again has trended a bit further east and colder in the last few model runs. Winter Weather Advisories may be required for most areas outside of the Winter Storm Watch area in future forecasts. Minor coastal flooding and beach erosion is possible at the time of high tide across north and east facing locations of the East Coastal Massachusetts.

A High Wind Watch remains in effect from Wednesday Afternoon through Thursday Morning for Bristol, Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands and South Coastal Rhode Island for sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts up to 60 MPH. These winds could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and holiday decorations should be secured as well. Some interior locations outside of the current High Wind Watch area not covered in the Winter Storm Watch/Warning may reach Wind Advisory thresholds.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely Wednesday late Afternoon/Evening into Thursday evening. Another coordination message will be issued by 9 AM Christmas Morning. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Watch statement, High Wind Watch Statement, Snowfall Map and Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Taunton High Wind Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

Read more

Hello to all..

..Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators..
..Light Precipitation overnight was less than expected along with temperatures near or just above freezing, snow/ice totals were 1″ or less. A few more snow showers or light mixed precipitation will occur Christmas Morning with little additional accumulation and the Winter Weather Advisory has been cancelled for Christmas morning..
..A more powerful coastal storm will occur Wednesday Evening into Thursday bringing heavy snow to Western New England, a Wintry mix to interior Central and Northeastern New England and a windswept rain to Southeast New England and East Coastal Massachusetts..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Wednseday Evening through Thursday Evening for Franklin, Northern Worcester, Western Hampshire, Western Hampden, Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts and all of Southern New Hampshire for 8-12″ of snow and around a trace of ice from Heavy Snow with a possibility of sleet and freezing rain..
..A High Wind Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Afternoon through Thursday Morning for Southeast Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands and South Coastal Rhode Island for sustained winds from 30-40 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely Wednesday Evening into Thursday Evening..

Overnight, light precipitation was lighter than expected and temperatures were marginally near freezing or even above freezing along the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This resulted in snowfall totals reported so far of less than an inch versus the 1-3″ with isolated 4″ amounts expected. Some light freezing drizzle was also noted but did not hamper conditions. The Winter Weather Advisory for Christmas Morning has been dropped for the region. A few more snow showers or freezing drizzle/light rain may occur this morning before precipitation moves out of the region. As a side note, the definition of a ‘White Christmas’ is that there is 1″ of snow on the ground on or before 7 AM ET on Christmas Day. We will continue to monitor during Christmas Morning for any snowfall reports for the area from this light event.

A much more potent coastal storm is expected to affect Southern New England Wednesday Evening into Thursday Evening. A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Wednseday Evening through Thursday Evening for Franklin, Northern Worcester, Western Hampshire, Western Hampden, Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts and all of Southern New Hampshire for 8-12″ of snow and around a trace of ice from Heavy Snow with a possibility of sleet and freezing rain. Across areas outside of the Winter Storm Watch area north and west of the Boston to Providence corridor, a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain with some snow and ice accumulation expected before some areas particularly closest to the Boston to Providence corridor changes over to rain. Areas from Boston to Providence corridor through Cape Cod and the Islands will see a period of mix precipitation before it changes over to a windswept rain. All of this is dependent on the track of the coastal storm which is currently expected to be inside the 40 North/70 West benchmark and near/over Southern New England. A further west track moves the rain/snow line further north while a further east track will bring the rain/snow line further south. Winter Weather Advisories may be required for most areas outside of the Winter Storm Watch area in future forecasts. Minor coastal flooding and beach erosion is possible at the time of high tide across north and east facing locations of the East Coastal Massachusetts.

A High Wind Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Afternoon through Thursday Morning for Bristol, Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands and South Coastal Rhode Island for sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts up to 60 MPH. These winds could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and holiday decorations should be secured as well. Some interior locations outside of the current High Wind Watch area may reach Wind Advisory thresholds.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely Wednesday late Afternoon/Evening into Thursday evening. Another coordination message will be issued by 11 PM Christmas Evening. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Watch statement, High Wind Watch Statement, and Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Taunton High Wind Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

Read more

Hello to all..

..Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators..
..A Light Snowstorm is still likely to bring a ‘White Christmas’ to much of Southern New England away from Cape Cod and the Islands based on storm intensity/track and amount of cold air available. A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 10 PM tonight through 10 AM Christmas Morning for Rhode Island, Northern Connecticut, and Bristol and Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts for snow accumulations of 1-2″ with light ice amounts of a light coating to one-tenth inch poentially causing slippery travel. Outside of the Winter Weather Advisory area, precipitation is currently expected to be all snow with snowfall amounts of 1-3″ with isolated higher amounts of up to 4″ north of the Massachusetts Turnpike. These amounts are below Winter Weather Advisory thresholds but if higher snowfall or any icing is possible, advisories could be extended northward in future updates and slippery travel is likely in these areas regardless..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will be utilized to gather snowfall amounts during this storm event. The next coordination message for the Christmas Eve Night/Christmas Day storm event will be posted by 10 PM Monday Evening..
..Another more powerful storm is expected late Wednesday Afternoon into Thursday. Details for this storm are uncertain but SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible during this time period. Coordination Messages for this storm system will likely be issued by Christmas Night. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory statement, NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook and NWS Taunton snow graphic map for the 12/24/12-12/25/12 storm event..

NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Graphic Map (12/24/12-12/25/12 Storm Event):
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

Read more

Hello to all..

..Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators..
..A Light Snowstorm is likely to bring a ‘White Christmas’ to much of Southern New England away from Cape Cod and the Islands and possibly some other parts of south coastal Massachusetts/Rhode Island based on storm intensity/track and amount of cold air available. Snowfall amounts are expected to be 1-3″ with isolated higher amounts of up to 4″ north of the Massachusetts Turnpike..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will be utilized to gather snowfall amounts during this storm event. The next coordination message for the Christmas Eve Night/Christmas Day storm event will be posted by 11 AM Monday Morning..
..Another more powerful storm is expected late Wednesday Afternoon into Thursday. Details for this storm are uncertain but SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible during this time period. Coordination Messages for this storm system will likely be issued by Christmas Night. Below is the NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook and NWS Taunton snow graphic map for the 12/24/12-12/25/12 storm event..

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Snowfall Graphic Map (12/24/12-12/25/12 Storm Event):
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

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Hello to all..

On behalf of the entire Amateur Radio Group at WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio station for NWS Taunton Massachusetts, and the forecaster staff at NWS Taunton, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holiday season. 2012 was not as historic as 2011 in terms of events, however, 2012 did have some very interesting weather events including a few historic events. Many of you provided critical reports, pictures and videos that supported and resulted in the protection of life and property and timely warnings being issued based on the surface reporting and ground truth that is so critical in confirming what the radar is or is not seeing. This information was then shared with local, state and federal emergency management and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are always looking for situational awareness and disaster intelligence to gauge the level of response and recovery required for an incident. They remain extremely impressed with all the work that all of you do and they extend their appreciation. That appreciation of the weather and damage reports is highly recognized by many of the media outlets as well who thank SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators on television and over social media such as facebook and twitter. This mission could not be done without all of your support.

A quick synopsis of 2012 reveal that while this year was quieter than 2011 in terms of historical events, there were a few significant event of note particularly toward the second half of 2012. After a very quiet winter, we had an average summer severe weather season but with a few notable events including the July 18th, 2012 severe weather event that resulted in a microburst in Arlington, Massachusetts and numerous Golf Ball to 2″ hail reports across portions of Southern New England and the North Shore and even a funnel cloud spotted by Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters over the North Shore and out over Boston Harbor. There was also the August 10th, 2012 severe weather outbreak that resulted in the first ever in recorded history tornado in Block Island Rhode Island and a 100 MPH microburst in Glastonbury, Conencticut. In early September on September 5th, 2012, the remnants of Isaac combined with a frontal system to cause a serious flash flood event in Fall River, Massachusetts.

As we moved into the Fall, two historic storms affected the region. Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy impacted much of Southern New England with sustained winds in the high-end tropical storm force range with hurricane force wind gusts particularly over Connecticut, Rhode Island and Eastern Massachusetts. Storm Surge flooding, the worst seen since Hurricane Bob and the Perfect Storm affected portions of South Coastal Massachusetts, and Rhode Island while the East Coast of Massachusetts saw the worse coastal flooding since the 2007 Patriots Day Storm. Widespread pockets of trees and wires down were noted with pockets of structural damage to roofs. At the height of the storm, approximately 386,000 were without power in Massachusetts, 122,000 in Rhode Island and 640,000 in Connecticut for a total of over 1.1 Million without power. Despite such a significant impact on Southern New England, it paled in comparison to the New York City, Long Island and New Jersey area which had a total of over 4 Million without power, 2.4 Million alone in New Jersey and the region is still recovering from the affects of Sandy. Federal disaster aid is flowing into New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and recently, portions of Eastern Massachusetts were added to the federal aid assistance from the impacts of Hurricane Sandy. Much more will be analyzed and researched about Hurricane Sandy in the coming months about her evolution and impacts over such a large area of the US East Coast.

Approximately one week after Hurricane Sandy on Wednesday November 7th into Thursday November 8th, 2012, a powerful nor’easter impacted Southern New England. This nor’easter brought snow to portions of interior Southern New England and heavy rainfall and damaging winds to the coastline as well as minor to moderate coastal flooding. Wind Gusts as high as 70 MPH was recorded and what made the storm more damaging along the coast was the long duration of northeast winds that occurred lasting in many coastal locations for around or more than 24 hours. Scattered power outages were noted along the coastline along with minor to moderate coastal flooding in pockets. Some coastal folks noted that the duration of the strong to damaging winds made the nor’easter worse than Hurricane Sandy which had stronger winds but over a less duration of time than this nor’easter.

As we move forward in 2013, we will be continuing our commitment to SKYWARN training with planning starting in January. We will also continue to embrace new technologies while maintaining all the other technologies utilized to gather as much real-time and precise meteorological and damage report information as possible. We have more work to do in renewing our efforts to utilizing Amateur Radio HF and 6 Meters where required, Amateur Radio simplex as well as continued usage of all the SKYWARN Amateur Radio Repeaters and radio linked systems via the Internet that are at our disposal as well as monitoring of weather stations ingested over APRS and into the mesonet networks that have supported and helped with seeing what is happening on the ground. We are also looking at a new Amateur Radio technology called NBEMS, the Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System, as a potential means to gather weather spotter data digitally over Ham Radio.

We continue to have our twitter feed setup and you can follow WX1BOX on twitter by following our Amateur Radio Call-Sign, WX1BOX. NWS Taunton has also setup their twitter feed recently. We also have our WX1BOX Facebook page and NWS Taunton a facebook page as well. SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators on facebook can ‘like’ these pages. They are available via the following links:

WX1BOX Amateur Radio SKYWARN Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/wx1box

NWS Taunton Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/US.NationalWeatherService.Boston.gov?fref=ts

WX1BOX Amateur Radio SKYWARN Twitter Feed:
http://twitter.com/wx1box

NWS Taunton Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/NWSBoston

We are also continuing to look at other ways to get near-real time video and pictures while also continuing to receive pictures and videos hours and days after a major severe weather event. This will further enhance our abilities to gather situatiuonal awareness and disaster intelligence information in a short period of time.

We, again, want to provide a tremendous THANK YOU to all of you that supported SKYWARN and the National Weather Service during 2012. We wish everyone once again, a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holiday Season and hope people enjoy their time with family and friends during this joyous holiday season!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

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Hello to all..

..A Cold Front will move through the area and behind the front as cold air moves in or advects into the region, winds will increase to Wind Advisory levels over much of the region..
..A Wind Advisory is in effect from 1 PM-11 PM Saturday for Massachusetts (except for Berkshire County which has a Wind Advisory from 10 AM-10 PM Saturday), and Rhode Island and from 10 AM Saturday Morning to 11 PM Saturday Evening for Northern Connecticut for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 45-50 MPH. These winds may cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will be utilized to monitor the strong winds today across the region today. This will likely be the only coordination message on today’s wind event unless a significant upgrade to the situation occurs..
..The potential exists for a ‘White Christmas’ over portions of Southern New England particularly along and south of the Mass. Pike with a light to possibly moderate snow event late Monday Evening into Christmas Morning. Coordination Messages for this event will start Sunday Night or Monday Morning if this potential materializes..
..Below is the NWS Taunton Wind Advisory Statement and Hazardous Weather Outlook..

NWS Taunton Wind Advisory Statement:
http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=box&wwa=wind advisory

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/displayHazardByCounty.php?locationCode=MAZ022&warncountyname=Barnstable&pil=BOXHWOBOX

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org

Read more