Weekend truckers will have to battle a nor’easter in many New England markets, with some areas getting more than 12 inches of snowfall.
The heaviest snowfall still looks to be outside of the major population centers along the Interstate 95 corridor, mainly affecting local and regional supply chains in low-volume freight markets. Parts of downtown Boston could see minor accumulations, with higher amounts north and west of the city. However, if the track were to shift farther east of the current forecast, Boston would be in the heavy snow zone.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm watch for most of Massachusetts (excluding portions of the Boston area), southern Vermont, as well as all of New Hampshire (I-93) and Maine. Areas west of I-95, especially in the high elevations, could see anywhere from 8 to 15 inches of total weekend snowfall. The worst of the storm will hit Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. As it weakens Sunday night and early Monday, most of the lingering snowfall will be in northern Maine.
Heavy snowfall, along with strong winds, will create dicey driving conditions and potential power outages. Winds will gust from 30 to 40 mph during the storm and possibly for several hours after the snowfall has ended. Drivers will likely hit periods of blowing snow and whiteout conditions.
Stronger winds will slam the Massachusetts coast Saturday afternoon and evening. Gusts could reach 55 mph in places such as Plymouth, Chatham, Falmouth, Provincetown, Vineyard Haven and Nantucket.
Other weekend storms
Light to moderate rain, snow and freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday will spread across the Pacific Northwest. Some roads could become icy in the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, in addition to the Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon.