With the nor’easter hitting New England on Monday bringing mostly rain to the Massachusetts coast and Cape Cod, much of the state still faces a foot of snowfall between Monday and Tuesday, the National Weather Service Boston said late Monday afternoon.
“Areas from the northern Mid-Atlantic to southern New England are feeling the escalating impacts from this intensifying coastal storm,” the National Weather Service said around 3 p.m. “Heavy snow, increasingly strong and gusty northeasterly winds together with increasing wave actions along the coast are expected to culminate tonight as the storm is forecast to reach peak intensity.”
Officials noted that portions of New Jersey saw about 20 inches of snow sweep over the state; not as much is expected to fall in Massachusetts but National Weather Service Boston forecasted that several communities would see between 8 and 12 inches or more.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 5 a.m. Tuesday in several sections of Massachusetts, with officials still expecting at least 7 to 15 inches of snow to blanket much of the state, NWS Boston said after 4 p.m.
As of 4:30 p.m., at least 4 inches have already fallen in Springfield and nearly 3 inches in Worcester, according to the National Weather Service.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service warned that “travel could be very difficult to impossible” on Monday evening and Tuesday morning, noting that gusts up to 50 mph could bring down tree branches.
Gov. Charlie Baker and other officials are urging residents to stay off roadways and avoid travel if possible. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has roughly 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available to clear the roads, the governor noted in a tweet.
Anyone who must drive during the storm should keep an extra flashlight, food and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency, NWS Boston advised Sunday.
Related Content:
- Massachusetts school closings, delays and remote learning for Monday, Feb. 1.
- Winter storm tracker: See how much snow you could expect where you live, when it will start
- Nor’easter tracker: How much snow will we get? Check interactive snowfall map to see timing, predicted totals in your area