Storm Coordination Message #1 – Thursday Afternoon 12/15/22-Saturday Morning 12/17/22
Hello to all…
..Coastal Storm will impact Southern New England later Thursday Afternoon into Saturday Morning. The storm will bring the potential for heavy wet snow especially in the higher elevations of Western Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut along with the potential for strong winds with heavy rain and strong winds over much of the rest of the region..
..A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Thursday Afternoon to Saturday Morning for Western Franklin, Western Hampshire and Western Hampden Counties of Massachusetts and Hartford County Connecticut for 4-10″ of snow with the heaviest amounts of 6″ or more in the higher elevations. If it falls as a heavy wet snow, it has the potential along with strong winds to cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the storm potential for Thursday Afternoon into Saturday Morning..
A coastal storm system will bring the potential for heavy wet snow and strong winds for portions of Western Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut particularly in the higher elevations along with heavy rainfall and strong winds for the remainder of Southern New England. The headlines depict the current thinking. Key factors include:
1.) Just a 1-2 degree difference in temperature could make the difference between heavy rain and heavy wet snow making snow accumulation forecasts difficult. Elevation will also play a role in rain or wet snow or whether the snow is heavy and wet in consistency or a drier snow. This will effect storm impacts in this region with regards to any tree and wire damage and power outages.
2.) Strong winds along with the wet snow have the potential to increase the tree and wire damage and power outage potential presuming the snow is heavy and wet in nature.
3.) A wind swept rain is expected over Eastern New England with the strongest winds at the coast.
SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the storm potential for Thursday Afternoon into Saturday Morning. Another coordination message will be posted by 1130 AM Thursday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Storm Watch Statement with Snow Maps and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
NWS Boston/Norton Winter Storm Watch Statement & Snow Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter
NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=box
Respectfully Submitted,
Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org