Storm Coordination Message #4 – Saturday PM 1/6/24-Sunday Night 1/7/24 Coastal Winter Storm Hazards

Hello to all…

..A coastal storm will bring significant snow especially to interior areas of Southern New England with strong to damaging winds possible at the coast and the potential for locations near the rain-snow line to have a heavier wet snow that could cause tree and power line damage from wet snow load. Storm timeframe is from late Saturday Afternoon through Sunday Night..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 4 PM Saturday Afternoon through 1 AM Monday Morning for Northern Connecticut, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester, Essex, and North-Central Middlesex, Counties of Massachusetts for 6-12″ of snow and wind gusts of 40 MPH. In the southern and eastern areas of the Winter Storm Warning area, the snow could be heavy and wet and that combined with wind gusts could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages from the combination of strong winds and snow load..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 4 PM Saturday Afternoon through 1 AM Monday Morning for Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Northwest Providence County Rhode Island for 6-12″ of snow and wind gusts of 40 MPH. In this area, the snow will be heavy and wet and that combined with wind gusts could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages from the combination of strong winds and snow load. The worst conditions are expected in two rounds, one during Saturday Night and the second late Sunday Morning into Sunday Afternoon with a flash freeze also possible..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 4 PM Saturday Afternoon to 1 AM Monday Morning for Southeast Providence, Kent and Northern Bristol County of Massachusetts for 3-6″ of snow and wind gusts of 40 MPH. In this area, the snow will be heavy and wet and that combined with wind gusts could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages from the combination of strong winds and snow load. The worst conditions are expected in two rounds, one during Saturday Night and the second late Sunday Morning into Sunday Afternoon with a flash freeze also possible..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 4 PM Saturday Afternoon to 1 AM Monday Morning for Newport, Bristol, Washington Counties of Rhode Island, Southern Bristol and Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts for 2-4″ of snow and wind gusts of 40 MPH. If snow amounts approach 4″ or higher, the snow will be heavy and wet and that combined with wind gusts could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages from the combination of strong winds and snow load. The worst conditions are expected in two rounds, one during Saturday Night and the second late Sunday Morning into Sunday Afternoon with a flash freeze also possible. The Cape and Islands will receive 2″ of snow or less with the highest amounts near the Cape Cod Canal..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect for Eastern Plymouth County Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands from 10 PM Saturday Evening to 10 PM Sunday Evening for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. These winds could cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Saturday Night into Sunday for snowfall reports, measured wind gusts 40 MPH or greater and any snow load/wind damage reports. An initial Amateur Radio Net Schedule of nets is posted in this message and if time allows this will be updated. Pictures and videos of storm damage can be sent as a reply to this email, via the WX1BOX Facebook/Twitter feed or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter for the pictures/videos unless otherwise indicated..

A coastal storm will bring the first significant snowfall to much of Southern New England. The headlines depict the current thinking given recent model trends on the rain-snow-mix line where the Winter Storm Watch area was split into Warnings on the northern and western end and Winter Weather Advisories on the south and east end with Winter Weather Advisories through the remainder of Southeast New England except for Cape Cod and the Islands. A Wind Advisory was also posted for Eastern Plymouth County and Cape Cod and the Islands. Key factors remain:

1.) The track of the storm as that will depict whether the rain-snow line is further offshore or moves inland into the I-95 corridor of Southeast New England. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories were posted based on current weather model trends with the rain-snow line.
2.) The intensity of the storm as that will depict the strength of the winds and whether higher snowfall amounts can be realized over a portion of Southern New England.
3.) The speed of the storm as it moves through the area.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Saturday Night into Sunday for snowfall reports, measured wind gusts 40 MPH or greater and any snow load/wind damage reports. An initial Amateur Radio Net Schedule of nets is posted in this message and if time allows this will be updated. The schedule of nets appears below:

Western Mass: 146.940-Mount Tom Repeater PL: 127.3 Hz – 630 PM, 830 PM, 1030 PM Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning starting at 630 AM and then the ARES Nets that follow at 845/915 AM – we will request snow total and any damage report info – Additional nets after this time will be done on 2 hour intervals as needed starting at 1130 AM Sunday Morning
Central Mass: 146.970-Paxton Repeater PL: 114.8 Hz, 830 PM and 1030 PM Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning 730 AM, the 930 AM ARES Net will also request snowfall reports and any damage report info and then additional nets at 1130 AM and later as needed
Eastern Mass: Working on scheduling of appropriate nets
Rhode Island: Working on scheduling of appropriate nets
Northern Connecticut: 146.790-Vernon Repeater PL: 82.5 Hz – 830 PM and 1030 PM Saturday Evening, Sunday Morning schedule TBD

Pictures and videos of storm damage can be sent as a reply to this email, via the WX1BOX Facebook/Twitter feed or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter for the pictures/videos unless otherwise indicated. If time allows, a shortened coordination message will be posted with the latest Amateur Radio Net schedule for the region and any storm forecast updates. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement/Snowfall Map, Wind Advisory Statement and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

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 Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement/Snowfall Map:
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 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
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