Heavy Winter Storm Forecast This Weekend

A furious winter storm is forecast for New England beginning on Saturday. 3 to 6 inches of heavy, wet snow is expected Saturday following by arctic air causing surface freezing and black ice Saturday night. Power outages are expected due to the combination of high winds, wet snow, and then ice. For more information, see AccuWeather's coverage of the storm or the Winter Storm Watch from NOAA repeated below:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
302 PM EDT FRI OCT 28 2011

...EARLY-SEASON WINTER STORM POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY
MORNING...

.LOW PRESSURE WILL RAPIDLY INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES UP THE NORTHEAST
COAST ON SATURDAY. BY SATURDAY NIGHT IT WILL TRACK NEAR CAPE COD
AND STRENGTHEN RAPIDLY. THIS WILL SPREAD SNOW INTO MAINE AND NEW
HAMPSHIRE BEGINNING LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO
SUNDAY MORNING. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY SNOWFALL
TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES... CAUSING DANGEROUS TRAVEL
CONDITIONS AND CAUSING TREES TO SAG AND LIMBS TO SNAP FROM THE
WEIGHT OF THE HEAVY SNOW.

CONFIDENCE IN PRECIPITATION IS HIGH. HOWEVER... THE AMOUNTS ARE IN
QUESTION DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN THE TRACK OF THE STORM. IN
ADDITION... WARM AIR NEAR THE COAST MAY CAUSE A BACK AND FORTH
TRANSITION BETWEEN RAIN AND SNOW... AND LIMIT ACCUMULATIONS HERE.
HOWEVER... A FURTHER EAST TRACK WOULD ALLOW MORE ACCUMULATIONS
ALONG THE COAST.

MEZ018-NHZ004-006-008>010-013-290315-
/O.CON.KGYX.WS.A.0009.111029T2300Z-111030T1200Z/
INTERIOR YORK-NORTHERN CARROLL-SOUTHERN CARROLL-MERRIMACK-BELKNAP-
STRAFFORD-INTERIOR ROCKINGHAM-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SANFORD...BERWICK...NORTH CONWAY...
WOLFEBORO...OSSIPEE...CONCORD...HOOKSETT...LACONIA...MEREDITH...
ROCHESTER...DOVER...SALEM...DERRY...EXETER
302 PM EDT FRI OCT 28 2011

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...

* LOCATIONS...INTERIOR SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE AS WELL
  AS INTERIOR SOUTHWEST MAINE.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND COME TO AN
  END EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

* WINDS...NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...DROPPING INTO THE UPPER 20S.

* IMPACTS...HEAVY WET SNOW WILL CAUSE SLIPPERY DRIVING CONDITIONS.
  IN ADDITION... MANY TREES STILL HAVE THEIR LEAVES AND WILL BE AT
  RISK FROM THE HEAVY WET ACCUMULATIONS. THIS MAY CAUSE LIMBS TO
  SAG OR SNAP...POSSIBLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO NEARBY STRUCTURES OR
  POWER LINES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

&&

$$