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Boston's Morning Newsletter
How much snow is Mass. actually getting? Here's what to expect as the storm shifts south
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I know what you’re thinking. (I’m thinking it, too.) Where’s the snow? It’s already piling up in Connecticut, and it’s still coming here — just a little less and a little later.
Here’s more on what we now expect:
Snow, wind and water: Over the past 24 hours, our much-awaited storm has made a big shift south and a winter storm warning remains in effect for all of southeastern Massachusetts. Officials are still encouraging people across the state to stay home if they can, because the storm will intensify later today. “It’s going to be wet. It’s going to be heavy,” Gov. Maura Healey said of the snow in a press conference yesterday, adding that the wind and flooding could make travel very difficult in some areas.
- How much snow? The National Weather Service’s fresh new snowfall map as of this morning shows the “jackpot” zone on the South Shore and Cape Cod. That area is now slated to get up to 8 inches of snow, while areas north of the Mass. Pike will only get a few inches. Boston is expected to get somewhere around 3 to 4 inches, depending whose map you trust. WBUR meteorologist Danielle Noyes said it will be a wet, pasty snow. (Good for snowmen; bad for power lines.)
- When will it start and stop? Noyes says the steadiest snow will occur between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with rates of 1-2 inches per hour likely in the heaviest bands. It should end around 3 p.m. in Worcester, 4 p.m. in Boston and 7 p.m. on the Cape, according to Noyes.
- What else? Coastal wind and flooding are also concerns. Noyes said gusts up to 40 mph are expected on the coast, and they could get as high as 55 mph on the Cape. (You can track power outages using the state’s online map.) There’ll be minor to moderate pockets of coastal flooding, which the NWS says could affect some roads on the North Shore, especially from Salem to Newburyport.
How is this affecting travel? If you must get into work, take public transportation or drive in early and stay a little late so plows can clear the road. “Things will be wrapping up later in the day,” Noyes said.
- Up in the air: More than 200 flights into or out of Logan Airport have already been canceled today, according to FlightAware.
- Off track: Amtrak has canceled most of today’s regional and Acela trains between Boston and New York. Meanwhile, the MBTA is planning for mostly normal service today, though shuttle buses are replacing the Mattapan trolley.
- Out to sea: The T has nixed ferry service to Hull today, due to expected flooding at the town’s local dock. Because of the high winds, the Steamship Authority has canceled nearly every ferry today to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
School’s out in the Hub: Boston might miss the worst of the storm today, but Mayor Michelle Wu made the early call yesterday to save everyone the uncertainty and give students a snow day. WBUR’s Katie Cole has more details on the city’s snow emergency and — of course — space saver rules here.
- Outside the Hub: Here’s an alphabetized, running list of school closures across Massachusetts today, via NBC Boston. That includes Worcester, which announced their snow day in usual fashion, with the help of custodian-comedian Jimmy Cash.
Valentine’s Day voting: The storm has also forced Milton officials to postpone the referendum originally scheduled today on the town’s new zoning bylaw until tomorrow, Feb. 14. (There’s nothing more romantic than land-use debates.) The zoning changes — intended to comply with the state’s MBTA communities multifamily housing law — were approved by town meeting voters in December, but opponents then gathered enough signatures to force a town-wide referendum.
- New details: The election will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the same polling locations. Voters now have until 8 p.m. tomorrow to return mail-in ballots to the town clerk.
P.S.— For the second straight year, Northeastern took home the men’s Beanpot trophy last night, following a 4-3 win over Boston University. Senior forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine — “the best name in college hockey” — scored the winning goal with just 28 seconds left in overtime. You can watch the full game highlights here.
