[W1SMH] Fwd: Situational Awareness Statement: Powerful Winter Storm Sunday into Monday

Sat Feb 11 14:22:53 EST 2017

Ray Cord

On Saturday, February 11, 2017, Packard, Christine (CDA) (CDA) <Christine.Packard at MassMail.State.MA.US> wrote:

MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS STATEMENT
DATE: 2/11/2017
TIME: 10:30 AM
SUBJECT: Powerful Winter Storm Sunday into Monday
Situation
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the majority of the Commonwealth (with the exception of southern Bristol county, southwestern Plymouth county and the Islands) for a powerful winter storm Sunday into Monday. This storm has potential for significant heavy, wet snowfall, strong to damaging northwest winds, and minor - with pockets of moderate - coastal flooding along north and west-facing shores. Areas north and west of the MassPike may see 8-12 inches of snow; areas north of Rte 2 may see 12-18 inches; eastern and southeastern Massachusetts may see 2-8 inches. There will also be strong to damaging winds along the coast, Cape and Islands, increasing the potential for scattered power outages.
Snowfall is forecast to begin between 10 am to 1 pm Sunday, with the potential for precipitation starting a wintry mix with sleet, freezing rain, or rain in areas, and transitioning to snow. The snow may lift north briefly Sunday night, but will return Monday morning with more intense snowfall from west to east, with possible 2 to 4 inches of snowfall per hour rates. Snow will taper off Monday afternoon/evening. Blowing and drifting snow will reduced visibility to a 1/4 mile or less at times.

There is still uncertainty in the forecast at this time. The State EOC will participate in a call with NWS this afternoon for updated forecast information, and will distribute additional Situational Awareness Statements as needed.

Uncertainty

* The track of the rain/snow line, which will greatly impact snowfall projections
* The timing of the rain to snow changeover early Monday

Snowfall

*
Southeast MA: 2 to 8 inches
*
MA (north of CT/RI border, north and south of the MassPike): 8 to 12 inches (widespread)
*
N/Northeast MA: 12 to 16 inches (locally higher amounts)
Winds
The strongest winds are expected to occur Monday midday into the afternoon. Sustained winds of 20 - 25 mph are expected inland, with 35-45 mph along the coast, Cape and Islands. Winds could gust up to 45 mph inland and up to 65 mph on the outer Cape and Island. Winds overseas are expected to be 50-60 mph sustained55- , with gusts up to 70 mph. NW winds 35-45 mph are possible inland. Gusts around 45-60 mph are possible along eastern coastal Massachusetts, the Cape and Islands.
Coastal Flooding
North/West facing shorelines of east coastal Massachusetts, as well as the north coast of Nantucket, may see minor to moderate coastal flooding around the Monday midday high tide.
Impacts:

* Snowfall may result in poor visibility and difficult travel Sunday/Monday
* Potential impacts to Monday morning commute
* Power outages with downed limbs and power lines due to the weight of the snow
* Shore roads may become impassable due to coastal flooding around Monday midday high tide
* Beach erosion on north-facing shores

NWS Graphics
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Watches/Warnings:
Winter Storm Watch
Issued: February 11 at 4:19AM EST
Expiring: February 13 at 7:00PM EST <https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=MA12583E4465BC.WinterStormWatch.12583E70C580MA.ALYWSWALY.2059a370031d67744468893bd622ae5e>

Areas affected: Northern Berkshire; Southern Berkshire

Winter Storm Watch
Issued: February 11 at 4:09AM EST
Expiring: February 13 at 7:00PM EST <https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=MA12583E4461D4.WinterStormWatch.12583E70C580MA.BOXWSWBOX.07a3eac76ce023aacf9dfc274814054c>

Areas affected: Central Middlesex County; Eastern Franklin; Eastern Hampden; Eastern Hampshire; Northern Worcester; Northwest Middlesex County; Southern Worcester; Western Essex; Western Franklin; Western Hampden; Western Hampshire

Winter Storm Watch
Issued: February 11 at 4:09AM EST
Expiring: February 13 at 7:00PM EST <https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=MA12583E4461D4.WinterStormWatch.12583E70C580MA.BOXWSWBOX.2cd00b08ab7a5aab983e8e5829399e2b>

Areas affected: Barnstable; Eastern Essex; Eastern Norfolk; Eastern Plymouth; Northern Bristol; Southeast Middlesex; Suffolk; Western Norfolk; Western Plymouth

High Wind Watch
Issued: February 11 at 4:24AM EST
Expiring: February 14 at 1:00AM EST <https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=MA12583E4467B0.HighWindWatch.12583E71AFE0MA.BOXNPWBOX.628330895f3410b89e98baed9ebf1a74>

Areas affected: Barnstable; Eastern Essex; Nantucket

MEMA Operations

The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) at MEMA Headquarters in Framingham is currently at Level 1 (Steady State Monitoring).

The SEOC will participate in a conference call with the National Weather Service this afternoon.

The SEOC will continue to monitor the forecast over the weekend and issue additional Situational Awareness Statements as needed.

Preparedness and Safety Information
* Flooding preparedness and safety information is available at: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/floods

* For safety tips and guidance for clearing snow off of roofs, see http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/winter-storms/roof-collapse.html
* Winter storm preparedness and safety information is available at: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/winter-storms/
* Power outage preparedness and safety information is available at: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/power-outage/
Stay Informed
Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp<http://www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp>.
Utilize MEMA's real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html
Utilize MEMA's live weather radar and forecasting tools, including the live snowfall forecast map: http://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=0da6e4d888b74317b52b7a5064aa3dc2

Online Resources
For additional information and resources, visit:
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at www.mass.gov/mema<http://www.mass.gov/mema>
MEMA's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA
MEMA Twitter: @MassEMA<http://twitter.com/massema>
Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov<http://www.fema.gov>
National Weather Service/Taunton at www.weather.gov/boston<http://www.weather.gov/boston>
National Weather Service/Albany, NY at www.weather.gov/albany<http://www.weather.gov/albany>
National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov
National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/
Mass211 at www.mass211.org<http://www.mass211.org>

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