Storm Coordination Message #2 – Wednesday Morning 3/21/18-Thursday Morning 3/22/18 Major Winter Storm Potential

March 20, 2018 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all…

..Unfortunately, yet another nor’easter, the 4th nor’easter this month, is on target and taking aim on Southern New England Wednesday Morning into Thursday Morning with potential significant impacts from heavy snowfall and potentially a wet snowfall, strong to damaging winds and a greater risk for one to two tide cycles of minor to moderate coastal flooding due to higher astronomical tides..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 8 AM Wednesday to 8 AM Thursday for Northern Connecticut, North-Central Rhode Island, Eastern Hampden, Southern Worcester, Suffolk, Southeast Middlesex, Norfolk, Northern Bristol and North-Central Plymouth Counties Massachusetts for 10-14″ of snow with isolated higher amounts possible. The snow will be heavy and wet and with wind gusts in western interior areas to 35 MPH and central to eastern areas of 40-55 MPH with higher gusts to 60 MPH possible in coastal areas, isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages are likely..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Morning through Thursday Morning for Cape Cod and Marthas Vineyard for 3-6″ of snow with isolated higher amounts in the 6-10″ range closer to the Cape Cod Canal area and strong to damaging winds with wet snow have the potential to produce isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages possible..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Morning through Thursday Morning for Southern Rhode Island, Eastern Franklin, Hampshire, Western Hampden Counties, Northern Worcester, North-Central Middlesex, Essex, Southern Bristol and Southern Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts for total snowfall of 6-12″ with isolated higher amounts or bands of higher amounts of snow of up to 14″. Winds gusts of 25-35 MPH are expected in the interior western parts of the Winter Storm Watch area with wind gusts between 40-60 MPH in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. These winds with wet snow may cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages..
..A High Wind Watch is now in effect from Wednesday Morning through Thursday Morning for South Coastal Rhode Island and East and South Coastal Massachusetts for sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH. These winds along with wet snow accumulation could cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated to scattered power outages..
..A Coastal Flood Watch remains in effect for the late Wednesday Night high tide cycle for Eastern Plymouth County Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Nantucket Island for minor to moderate coastal flooding at the time of this high tide cycle and the Thursday Afternoon tide cycle may also be impacted as well..
..SKYWARN Activation is likely Wednesday into Thursday for this system. With the NWS office move, Ops will most likely be done from Amateur Radio home stations for this storm event. This will be updated as needed..

Unfortunately, another nor’easter is taking aim on Southern New England. The trend with these storm systems this month has been to have the storm systems look further offshore in the 3-5 day period only to come closer to coast in the under 3-day period and that seems to be the case for this system as well. The track guidance continues to coalesce to be a storm system with significant impacts to our region once again. The headlines provide the current thinking. Key items for this storm system:

1.) Track guidance closer to the coast means higher snow amounts and this could increase more depending on the track provided it stays along or just east of the benchmark. This could also mean higher wind speeds depending on storm system intensity. Some mixed precipitation is possible at the coast which is why Winter Storm Watches remain in place there but heavier precipitation may offset the threat of mixed precipitation during the event. Northern and western parts of the area may have lighter snowfall depending on the northwest cut off the storm which is why Winter Storm Watches remain in place there.
2.) The astronomical high tides are higher so that means a bit higher risk for at least minor to moderate coastal flooding on the Wednesday Night high tide cycle and possibly affecting the Thursday afternoon high tide cycle as well.
3.) The strong to damaging winds and potentially heavy wet snow could cause another round of isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages and will depend on storm track and intensity.

SKYWARN Activation is likely Wednesday into Thursday for this system. With the NWS office move, Ops will most likely be done from Amateur Radio home stations for this storm event. This will be updated as needed. Another coordination message will be posted by 11 PM Tuesday Evening. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Watch Statement, High Wind Watch Statement, Coastal Flood Watch Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Maps:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton High Wind Watch Statement:

http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Coastal Flood Watch Statement:

http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Maps:
http://www.weather.gov/box/winter

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant 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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