Storm Coordination Message #1 – Monday Night 2/15/21-Tuesday Evening 2/16/21 Ice Storm Potential

Hello to all…

..Potential exists for significant icing across portions of interior Southern New England. If widespread icing of around 0.50″ can occur, it will have the potential to cause scattered to numerous pockets of tree, power line damage and power outages..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Monday Afternoon through Tuesday Evening for Northern Connecticut, Northwest Providence, Western Kent Counties of Rhode Island, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, North-Central Middlesex, Western Essex and Western Norfolk Counties of Massachusetts for up to 3″ of snow with the highest snow totals in Northwest Massachusetts and up to 050″ of ice across the watch area. If 0.50″ of ice is realized, pockets of tree, wire damage and power outages are likely..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely across the Winter Storm Watch area particularly later Monday Evening into Tuesday Afternoon to monitor precipitation type, ice accretion levels and any icing damage..

A storm system will move its way up from the Southeast United States into the Northeast. Precipitation will be spotty and light Monday Afternoon and become steadier and heavier Monday Night into Tuesday Morning. This has the potential to be an ice storm in portions of interior Southern New England. The headlines depict the current thinking. Key factors include:

1.) How deep the column of cold air will be to determine if precipitation falls as freezing rain, sleet, snow or rain.
2.) The track of the storm as that will dictate the deepness of the cold air across the area including how much snow, sleet, freezing rain or rain falls in a given area and what areas could see the most ice accretion. Subtle differences in storm track of as little as 30-50 miles could significantly impact the areas that could see significant icing versus more snow and sleet or more rain. The Winter Storm Watch area denoted is the highest confidence area for the potential of significant icing.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely across the Winter Storm Watch area particularly later Monday Evening into Tuesday Afternoon to monitor precipitation type, ice accretion levels and any icing damage. Also, for measuring ice accretion, please note the following graphic on how to properly measure ice on a flat surface or on an object such as tree, tree branch or other similar object as denoted by the SKYWARN training material:

https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ice_measuring_per_SKYWARN-Training.pdf

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely across the Winter Storm Watch area particularly later Monday Evening into Tuesday Afternoon to monitor precipitation type, ice accretion levels and any icing damage. Another coordination message will be posted by 11 AM Monday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Storm Watch Statement, Area Forecast Discussion, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snow and Ice Maps..

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Storm Watch Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.fxus61.KBOX.html

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

NWS Boston/Norton Snow and Ice Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter

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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