Storm Coordination Message #1 – Late Friday Night 5/8/20-Saturday Night 5/9/20 Coastal Storm, Strong Wind and Arctic Cold Potential

Hello to all…

..Strong Storm System and Unusually Cold Arctic Air for May will bring the potential for a coating to 2″ of snow in grassy areas particularly in the higher elevations of Western and Northern Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut overnight into early Saturday Morning, minor coastal flooding during the early Saturday Morning high tide, strong to damaging winds in portions of Southern New England and the potential for Snow Squalls, Graupel and Small hail embedded with rain showers during the day Saturday and Saturday Night..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect from 8 AM to 9 PM Saturday for Cape Cod and the Islands with a Wind Advisory in effect from 11 AM to 7 PM Saturday for Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with Gusts to 50 MPH. These winds will cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and power line damage and isolated to scattered power outages. Areas outside the Wind Advisory could see wind gusts in the 40-45 MPH range as well..
..A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect from 11 PM Friday Night to 3 AM Saturday Morning for East Coastal Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands for minor coastal flooding of shore roads in this area. South Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island could see some low lying roads with a bit of splashover at the time of high tide tonight from 8-12 PM Friday Evening..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor much of Saturday for strong wind gusts, wind damage, any snowfall accumulation reports and any reports of Snow Squalls and small hail/graupel in the region. Also, if snowfall were to reach 3″ or more, this would result in Wet Snow damage to trees and wires though this appears to be a remote possibility at this time..

An unusual combination of a coastal storm strengthening as it moves east of Southern New England and unusually cold Arctic Air for May will combine to produce one more light snowfall in grassy areas particularly in the higher elevations, strong to damaging winds and the potential for snow squalls and graupel and small hail embedded with the rain showers during the day Saturday. The headlines depict the current thinking. Key factors for this storm event include:

1.) Models have trended more inland and warmer with the storm system but there will still be the potential for light snow accumulations in Northwest Connecticut, Western and Northern Massachusetts. If it were to be a bit colder and snow amounts were 3″ or more, it could potentially induce some wet snow damage in these areas.
2.) Strong to damaging winds will occur during much of the day Saturday in the Wind Advisory areas with locations outside of the Wind Advisory seeing wind gusts of 40-45 MPH. Isolated to scattered tree and power line damage and power outages will be possible due to these winds.
3.) Snow Squalls and rain showers with small hail and graupel will affect portions of Southern New England over the course of the day Saturday and will bear monitoring.

SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor much of Saturday for strong wind gusts, wind damage, any snowfall accumulation reports and any reports of Snow Squalls and small hail/graupel in the region. Also, if snowfall were to reach 3″ or more, this would result in Wet Snow damage to trees and wires though this appears to be a remote possibility at this time.

NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Coastal Flood Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

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

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
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