Another promised snowstorm to hit Friday
Yesterday’s storm petered out west of Boston
Meteorological winter is coming to an end, so of course another wintry system could soon impact the region after it had been a pretty quiet season for storms.
Following Tuesday’s winter storm that dumped several inches of snow on parts of Massachusetts but petered out in the Boston-area, meteorologists have their eyes on a system that’s expected to arrive later on Friday and last into Saturday.
An approaching lowpressure system should bring a wintry mix of snow and then sleet and rain later this week, with more snowfall accumulation likely north of the Mass Pike. The Boston-area could see 2 to 4 inches of snow, while areas farther north and west could get 4 to 8 inches, according to AccuWeather.
“The highest amounts will be out toward the Berkshires, and less snow will be along the South Shore and the Cape,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brian Thompson.
Currently, the greatest risk for snow and ice impacts will be north of the Mass Pike, but that can certainly shift north or south, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters will have a better idea in the next 24 to 36 hours.
“We’re still three days out, so we’ll see how things pan out,” said Hayden Frank, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, later adding, “It doesn’t look like a big all-out snowstorm.”
As far as Tuesday’s snowstorm, western Massachusetts was the jackpot zone. The highest snowfall amounts were recorded in
Hampden County’s Chester (8.5 inches), Franklin County’s Ashfield (8.5 inches), and Hampshire County’s Plainfield (8 inches).
More than 6 inches of snow were recorded in Holyoke, Chicopee, Agawam, West Springfield, and Sturbridge.
Only 0.8 inches of snow were measured at Boston Logan International Airport,
as temps rose and limited the snowfall amounts around the Boston-area.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation had almost 2,000 pieces of equipment deployed for snow and ice operations Tuesday morning, and the state implemented speed restrictions on the Mass Pike for western Massachusetts.