Storm Coordination Message #2 – Wednesday Afternoon 1/25/23-Thursday 1/26/23 Coastal Winter Storm Hazards

Hello to all…

..Yet another coastal storm system will bring the potential for a period of snow and the possibility of wet snow in areas hit hard with wet snow damage in Western and Northern Massachusetts, the potential for heavy rainfall and flooding issues in portions of Eastern New England, strong to damaging winds in Southeast New England and minor coastal flooding for the Wednesday Evening high tide cycle. Outages in Northern and Western Massachusetts area since last evening have dropped off to 617 customers without power as of 130 PM Wednesday Afternoon (any pictures and videos of storm damage can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook or Twitter feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org), .
..A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through 1 AM Thursday for Northern Connecticut, Northwest Providence County Rhode Island, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, Northern Worcester, North-Central Middlesex and expanded to Western Essex Counties of Massachusetts for 2-5″ of snow with isolated higher amounts and the highest amounts along and north of the Route 2 corridor through Western Franklin and Northwest Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts. The snow has the potential to be heavy and wet and in areas hit hard by the previous two winter storms with heavy wet snow, it could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. The evening commute could be affected by the snow with snow changing to rain in most if not all areas around or before 1 AM Thursday..
..Most if not all of the Winter Weather Advisory areas will see the snow change to all rain near the time of the advisory issuance with areas outside of the Winter Weather Advisory area seeing a coating to 2″ of snow before the changeover..
..A Flood Watch remains in effect from Wednesday Evening through Thursday Morning for Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts from Suffolk and Norfolk Counties south and east through Cape Cod and the Islands for heavy rainfall and in some areas of the watch area snow melt from 1-2.5″ of rain with isolated higher amounts and the potential for urban and poor drainage flooding and if higher amounts are realized the possibility of some small river and stream flooding..
..A Wind Advisory is in effect from 9 PM Wednesday to 9 AM Thursday for Southern Rhode Island including Block Island Rhode Island, Eastern and Southern Plymouth Counties, Southern Bristol Counties of Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands and has been expanded to include Southeast Providence, Kent, Bristol Counties of Rhode Island, Northern Bristol and Western Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts for sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. These winds could cause isolated pockets of tree and power line damage and isolated power outages..
..A Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect from 8 PM Wednesday to 3 AM Thursday for South Coastal Massachusetts, and Southeast Coastal Rhode Island for up to a half foot of inundation above ground level causing minor coastal flooding of the most vulnerable shore roads and parking areas at the coast..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-up nets likely late Wednesday Afternoon through Wednesday Night in the Winter Weather Advisory areas with general self-activation in eastern areas of the region for any snowfall reports, rain gauge totals, measured wind gusts 40 MPH or greater, wind damage and coastal flood reports..

A multi-hazard coastal storm is on track to impact Southern New England later this afternoon into Thursday. The headlines depict the current thinking. Key factors include:
1.) Snow amounts were adjusted slightly downward but could extend into Western Essex County Mass and the advisory has been expanded to this area. The timing of the rain-snow line is key to the amounts and also the heavy wet snow in areas hard hit with tree and power line damage from prior winter storms will need to be watched carefully for additional outages as most repairs were completed only within the last 24 hours. Spotter reports will be critical to see how this situation evolves.
2.) Flooding from heavy rainfall is a concern in the Flood Watch area due to repeated heavy rainfall events leading to lower flood guidance. Some smaller rivers and streams could come out of their banks in addition to urban and poor drainage flooding.
3.) Strong winds will penetrate a bit further inland than thought yesterday and the Wind Advisory has been expanded to cover more of Eastern Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts. If temperatures get a bit warmer than expected or heavy rainfall processes are sufficient to mix out more of the inversion, a few isolated wind gusts stronger than 50 MPH will be possible in this area.
4.) Minor coastal flooding is possible at high tide tonight in Southeast coastal New England and will bear watching.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-up nets likely late Wednesday Afternoon through Wednesday Night in the Winter Weather Advisory areas with general self-activation in eastern areas of the region for any snowfall reports, rain gauge totals, measured wind gusts 40 MPH or greater, wind damage and coastal flood reports. The following repeater systems will have Amateur Radio nets to track snowfall, precip type changeover and wet snow damage:

Western Mass SKYWARN Net: 146.940-Mount Tom Repeater – PL: 127.3 Hz Wednesday Evening 600 PM, 800 PM and 1000 PM
Central Mass SKYWARN Net #1: 146.970-Paxton Repeater PL: 114.8 – Wednesday Evening 630 PM, 830 PM and 1030 PM
Central Mass SKYWARN Net – #2 – Route 2 corridor system: W1GZ-R Echolink conference node: 688832/IRLP 9122 – Wednesday Evening either at the same time as the Paxton Repeater schedule or 10-15 minutes after the Paxton Nets have taken place
New England Reflector System – *NEW-ENG3* Echolink conference node: 9123/IRLP 9123/N1XRS-L Echolink node: 8998 – DMR Brandmeister node: DMR Talkgroup 3125541 (Will monitor and make occasional call-ups)
Additional repeaters could become active depending on changing storm conditions and this aspect will be monitored and if time allows a shortened coordination message will be sent to update this information.

This will be the last coordination message as we shift into operations mode. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement & Snow/Ice Accretion Maps, Wind Advisory Statement, Flood Watch Statement, Coastal Flood Advisory Statement, Area Forecast Discussion and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement & Snow/Ice Accretion Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter

NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=NPW&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

NWS Boston/Norton Flood Watch Statement:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=FFA&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

NWS Boston/Norton Coastal Flood Advisory Statement:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=CFW&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

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
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/wx1box