Storm Coordination Message #4 – Sunday 1/25/26-Monday 1/26/26 Major Winter Storm Potential – Amateur Radio Net Schedule Added

Hello to all…

..Arctic air now entrenched in the region bringing bitterly cold wind chills with wind gusts Friday Evening/Overnight between 30-50 MPH..
..Major winter storm that will likely affect Southern New England Sunday into Monday. Confidence is high for a significant snowfall for Southern New England. Subtle track and intensity changes etc. can occur that can affect some of the details. This storm is already impacting much of the Southeast and South-Central US with heavy snow and ice..
..An Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect until 1 PM Saturday for Western Franklin, Western Hampshire and Western Hampden Counties of Massachusetts for dangerously low wind chills to 25 below zero. Regardless if you’re in the Extreme Cold Warning area, wear layers if going outside due to the extreme cold conditions..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 AM Sunday Morning to 8 PM Monday Evening for 12-18″ of snow with isolated higher amounts to 20-22″ in heavier snow bands except for Block Island, RI, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket where 7-10″ of snow is likely due to some mixing with sleet. Winds are not expected to be exceptionally strong but some wind gusts between 35-45 MPH and perhaps isolated higher gusts at the coast are possible and will bear watching for near whiteout/blizzard conditions in heavier snow and isolated wind damage potential..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Sunday into Monday and perhaps into Tuesday AM for snowfall reports for the major winter storm potential. An Amateur Radio Net Schedule is listed in this update and additional info/changes will be published in the late evening and/or Sunday AM coordination message. Pictures/videos of the storm can be sent as a reply to this message via our WX1BOX Facebook/X/Bluesky feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated..

The headlines above reflect the current thinking on the major winter storm potential which if it verifies would be the largest storm since the Blizzard of 2022 for much of the area with some exceptions over in Western and North-Central Mass which received a heavy snowfall in the March 2023 timeframe. There are no major changes in this update other than higher snowfall totals for portions of interior Southern New England are possible in the Winter Storm Warning area and wind gusts could possibly get as high as 45 MPH at the coast which could cause isolated wind damage and near blizzard conditions. The sleet mix may get to parts of Cape Cod and south coastal Massachusetts but this appears to be after the heaviest snow will have occurred meaning little impact to amounts. Block Island, RI Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket, MA are still expected to get 7-10″ due to mixing with sleet. Key factors remain:

1.) Track of the storm and whether its inside the benchmark, at the benchmark or south of the benchmark as that will dictate how much, if any, mixing occurs particularly on the islands of Block Island, RI, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket, MA.
2.) The intensity of the system which will dictate any strong wind gusts at the coast. At this time, the risk of true blizzard conditions and any kind of widespread wind damage is low but at the coast models are indicating some near whiteout/near blizzard conditions and isolated wind damage with wind gusts to 35-45 MPH with isolated higher gusts occur. Snow is not expected to be particularly wet but will bear watching along the coast aligned with the wind gusts.
3.) Duration of the system as many models show this lasting through Monday Evening though much lighter in intensity Monday than prior model runs but an extended period of snow for the region still bears watching.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Sunday into Monday and perhaps into Tuesday AM for snowfall reports for the major winter storm potential. An Amateur Radio Net Schedule is listed in this update and additional info/changes will be published in the late evening and/or Sunday AM coordination message:

Western Massachusetts SKYWARN: 146.940/443.200 Mount Tom Repeater System – Sunday: 1000 AM, 1200 PM, 200 PM, 400 PM, 600 PM, 800 PM, 1000 PM, 1100 PM, 1200 AM, Monday AM: 600 AM, 800 AM, 1000 AM.
Central Massachusetts SKYWARN: 146.970-Paxton Repeater: Sunday: 1230 PM, 230 PM, 430 PM, 630 PM, 830 PM, 1030 PM, Monday AM: 730 AM, 930 AM, 1130 AM
Northeast Mass SKYWARN: 146.955-Westford Repeater: Sunday: 430 PM (Tentative), 630 PM, 830 PM, 1030 PM, Monday AM: 730 AM, 930 AM, 1130 AM
Northeast Mass SKYWARN: 145.470-Danvers Repeater – Schedule TBD
Metro Boston SKYWARN: 145.230-Boston Repeater – Sunday 230 PM, 430 PM, 630 PM, 830 PM, 1030 PM, Monday AM: 730 AM, 930 AM, 1130 AM
Norfolk County SKYWARN: 146.895-Walpole Repeater: Sunday 300 or 400 PM (tentative), 600 PM, 800 PM, 1000 PM, Monday AM: 800 AM, 1000 AM
Bristol County SKYWARN: 147.000-Dartmouth Repeater: Schedule TBD
Plymouth County SKYWARN: 147.180-Bridgewater Repeater: Schedule TBD
Cape & Islands SKYWARN: 146.955-Barnstable Repeater: Schedule TBD
Rhode Island SKYWARN: NB1RI Repeater System/146.760-Scituate RI Repeater: Schedule TBD
Hartford-Tolland County CT SKYWARN: 146.790-Vernon, CT Repeater: 1030 AM, 1230 PM, 230 PM, 430 PM, 630 PM, 830 PM, Monday AM: 800 AM, 1000 AM
Windham County CT SKYWARN: 147.225-Windham, CT Repeater: Schedule TBD
New England Reflector VoIP System – *NEW-ENG3* Echolink conference: 9123/IRLP 9123: Continuous monitoring from 1000 AM Sunday through at least 1030 AM Monday

Pictures/videos of the storm can be sent as a reply to this message via our WX1BOX Facebook/X/Bluesky feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated. The next coordination message will be posted either by 11 PM Saturday Evening or 10 AM Sunday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Extreme Cold Warning, Winter Storm Warning Statement, Area Forecast Discussion and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

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

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Storm Warning Statement:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=WSW&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 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
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