Winter is coming, again
Snow, flooding expected in spring nor’easter
A springtime nor’easter is barreling into storm-strained New England, threatening coastal flooding, up to a foot of snow in some areas and high-wind conditions that could trigger another round of widespread power outages.
The deepest snow is expected to fall in Plymouth, where 8 to 12 inches is forecast. Boston should see 6 to 8 inches, with the slim possibility of up to a foot, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a winter storm warning until 8 a.m. tomorrow.
Light powder is set to begin during this morning’s commute, with heavier snow slamming the state in the evening and overnight, NWS meteorologist Alan Dunham said.
Boston has already seen more than its fair share of the white stuff this season.
Snowfall for the city is already above average, with 57.2 inches recorded at Logan International Airport so far this winter — 17.5 inches above the historical average, Dunham said. Last year at this time, Boston had seen just 45.8 inches of snow.
The two major power companies in Massachusetts are bracing for the type of heavy snow and high wind gusts that could trigger another wave of electric outages.
National Grid said it has 200 external power crews and 150 tree crews prepared to augment the company’s 150 existing crews to attack outages. Eversource said it also has hundreds of crews at the ready.
Eversource field operations chief Doug Foley said the conditions could hammer “damaged trees and limbs already weakened from previous storms, leaving them susceptible to coming down and damaging our equipment.”
MassDOT is warning the public that the nor’easter could lead to low visibility and difficult travel conditions and urge people to check forecasts and plan accordingly. Crews were out yesterday treating roadways. The highway division has the ability to dispatch 700 workers for snow and ice removal from the state’s 15,000 miles of roadways, with 1,300 plow and salt-spreader combos, 2,100 plows, and 460 front-end loaders.
The MBTA is replacing the 70-year-old cars on the Mattapan trolley line with shuttle buses to protect the equipment from weather damage. Other routes and lines are expected to run as scheduled but snow routes could be put into effect, if needed.
Shores facing east and north are vulnerable to dangerous and damaging floods of 2.5 to 3 feet in some areas during high tides tonight and tomorrow morning.
“Lives may be at risk for people who put themselves in harm’s way,” forecasters wrote in a flood advisory.
The fourth nor’easter this month seems to have led to less scrambling for shovels, salt or other weather supplies. An employee at Aubuchon Hardware in Carver said the store hasn’t seen an uptick in last-minute sales.
“Down here, we are used to it. We are always prepared,” said the employee, a man named Don who declined to give his last name. “My phrase is expect the worst and hope for the best.”