Storm Coordination Message #3 – Wednesday Morning 3/21/18-Thursday Morning 3/22/18 Major Winter Storm Potential

March 20, 2018 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all…

..Unfortunately, yet another nor’easter, the 4th nor’easter this month, is on target and taking aim on Southern New England Wednesday Morning into Thursday Morning with potential significant impacts from heavy snowfall and potentially a wet snowfall, strong to damaging winds and a greater risk for one to two tide cycles of minor to moderate coastal flooding due to higher astronomical tides..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 8 AM Wednesday through 8 AM Thursday for Northern Connecticut, all of Rhode Island, Southern Worcester, Suffolk, Southeast Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable and Dukes Counties of Massachusetts for 5-10″ of snow with isolated higher amounts possible. In Barnstable County, the highest amounts will be closer to the Cape Cod Canal. The snow will be heavy and wet and with wind gusts in western interior areas to 35 MPH and central to eastern areas of 40-55 MPH with higher gusts to 60 MPH possible in coastal areas, isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages are likely..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 2 PM Wednesday through 8 AM Thursday for Hampden County Massachusetts for 3-5″ of snow. The Winter Storm Watch for Franklin and Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts has been cancelled as only 1-3″ of snow is expected in this area..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Morning through Thursday Morning for Northern Worcester, North-Central Middlesex and Essex Counties of Massachusetts for 4-8″ of snow and Winds gusts of 25-35 MPH are expected in the interior western parts of the Winter Storm Watch area with wind gusts between 40-60 MPH in Northeast Massachusetts. These winds with wet snow may cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages..
..A High Wind Warning is now in effect from 8 AM Wednesday through Noon Thursday for Cape Cod and the Islands. A High Wind Warning is in effect from 8 AM Wednesday through 8 AM Thursday for Block Island RI. The High Wind Warnings are for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH. These winds along with wet snow accumulation could cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect from 8 AM Wednesday to 8 AM Thursday for South Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island and a Wind Advisory is now in effect from 11 AM Wednesday through 8 AM Thursday for Eastern Essex, Eastern Norfolk and Eastern Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts. The wind advisories are for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. These winds along with wet snow accumulation could cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages..
..A Coastal Flood Watch remains in effect for the late Wednesday Night high tide cycle for Eastern Plymouth County Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Nantucket Island for minor to moderate coastal flooding at the time of this high tide cycle and the Thursday Afternoon tide cycle may also be impacted as well..
..SKYWARN Activation is likely Wednesday into Thursday for this system. With the NWS office move, Ops will be handled from home stations for this storm event. No changes to reporting methods will be made. The statements and reports may have less reports than normal. Social media/emails with reports collected into the WX1BOX team will be disseminated to help provide situational awareness given the office move affected reports in NWS statements. Pictures and videos from this storm system can be sent in as a reply to this email, via the WX1BOX Facebook/Twitter feeds or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter/Amateur Radio Operator for the pictures/videos..

Unfortunately, another nor’easter is taking aim on Southern New England. The trend with these storm systems this month has been to have the storm systems look further offshore in the 3-5 day period only to come closer to coast in the under 3-day period and that seems to be the case for this system as well. The track guidance continues to coalesce to be a storm system with significant impacts to our region once again though there is a sharp northwest cutoff that has been illustrated and the solution has turned a bit colder for the South coast of Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Marthas Vineyard with Winter Storm Warnings in effect for those areas. Also the heaviest snow is expected towards late afternoon and Wednesday Night from southwest to northeast across the area. The headlines provide the current thinking. Key items for this storm system:

1.) Track guidance is close enough to the coast means higher snow amounts but along and south of the Mass Pike based on a track south and east of the benchmark currently. It also means more snow across South Coastal Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Marthas Vineyard with a setup between the strong to damaging winds and wet snow for isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages. A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for North-Central and Northeast Massachusetts as these areas may remain in the heavier snowfall area.
2.) The astronomical high tides are higher so that means a bit higher risk for at least minor to moderate coastal flooding on the Wednesday Night high tide cycle and possibly affecting the Thursday afternoon high tide cycle as well.
3.) The strong to damaging winds and potentially heavy wet snow could cause another round of isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages. The current track and intensity support this scenario in areas where Winter Storm Warnings and Wind Advisories/High Wind Warings are in effect.

SKYWARN Activation is likely Wednesday into Thursday for this system. With the NWS office move, Ops will be handled from home stations for this storm event. No changes to reporting methods will be made. The statements and reports may have less reports than normal. Social media/emails with reports collected into the WX1BOX team will be disseminated to help provide situational awareness given the office move affected reports in NWS statements. Pictures and videos from this storm system can be sent in as a reply to this email, via the WX1BOX Facebook/Twitter feeds or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter/Amateur Radio Operator for the pictures/videos. Another coordination message will be posted by 7 AM Wednesday Morning.

Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Watch/Winter Weather Advisory Statement, High Wind Warning/Wind Advisory Statement, Coastal Flood Watch Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, Snowfall Maps and Facebook briefing:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Watch/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 Watch Statement:

http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

NWS Taunton Snowfall Maps:
http://www.weather.gov/box/winter

NWS Taunton Facebook Storm Briefing:

https://www.facebook.com/NWSBoston/photos/pcb.1662090640551967/1662090577218640/?type=3&theater

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
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Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
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