Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
A winter storm is expected to land in Bedford on the 40th anniversary of the Blizzard of 78. The three-day storm from February 5 to 7 dumped historic amounts of snow on New England that year. Wednesday’s storm won’t pack that punch but will be complicated by a changeover from snow to rain and ice.
The National Weather Service in Boston predicts that the weather will arrive in Bedford by mid-morning, with a projected total accumulation of 4 to 6 inches. The NWS map, however, shows the town to be in the “area of the ice/snow line. Another map shows that Bedford could expect up to a tenth of an inch of ice in addition to the snow.
Here’s the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s 5 pm Tuesday situational awareness statement:
Situation
Snow is expected to develop starting around 9 AM Wednesday morning, overspreading all of Massachusetts by noon. A short burst of heavy snowfall is likely at the onset of the storm. During the afternoon, snowfall will transition to sleet and/or freezing rain from south to north across interior northeast and central Massachusetts. In coastal southeastern Massachusetts, snow will likely change to heavy rain. Precipitation will taper off around midnight.
Rain or freezing rain may turn back to snow as the system departs the New England region, resulting in a flash freeze late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
Snowfall totals are expected to be up to 6-12 inches north of the Mass Pike in northwest and north-central Massachusetts, with the highest totals in northwestern Massachusetts. Between 3-6 inches of snow are forecast for eastern Massachusetts along and northwest of the I-95 corridor, including the metro Boston area. Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Ann may see up to 3 inches of snow, with lesser amounts on the Cape and Islands.
There is the possibility of wind gusts of up to 40 MPH over the Cape and Islands.
There is still some uncertainty over where the rain/snow line ultimately sets up across southern New England, as well as the timing of the transition from snow to wintry mix or all rain Wednesday afternoon; a faster transition to warmer conditions could lead to more ice while a slower transition would result in more snow.
Impacts:
- Heavy wet snow may bring down trees or tree limbs and cause isolated power outages, especially in northern and western Massachusetts.
- Snowfall may result in reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions, especially on untreated bridges, overpasses, and secondary roads. Travel impacts are likely during the Wednesday evening commute.
- Some icing is possible in areas receiving mixed precipitation, which could lead to slippery conditions on untreated surfaces.
- A flash freeze Wednesday night or early Thursday may result in icy conditions on untreated roadways.
- Heavy rain may cause ponding of water on roadways and inundation of low-lying areas in southeastern Massachusetts. Travel impacts are likely during the Wednesday evening commute.
And Boston’s French Toast Alert stands at Elevated this afternoon.
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