httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIi7YBXarGg
NBC Boston’s Weather Team continues an Early Warning Weather Alert for Tuesday, as an historic and life-threatening storm bears down on New England.
New England’s afternoon, high-altitude wispy clouds are “Cirrus clouds” – before advanced weather technology, these were a sign to New England farmers that a storm was on the wayand a thickening and lowering of the clouds confirmed the storm was moving in.
Of course, modern technology affords many more details, particularly this close in to the storm, like a forecast start time in Southern New England of 4 AM and 8 AM Tuesday.
The snow will start falling lightly, and may take a few hours to significantly intensify in the Boston area and the remainder of Eastern New England, but by late morning through mid-afternoon, snow rates of 2-5 inches per hour with occasional thundersnow is expected.
Though some dry air likely moves in aloft by 5 PM, cutting the tops right off of significant snow producing clouds and tby reducing the snowfall rate, by that point 6 hours of average 3 inches per hour snow delivers the 18 inches forecast for many, though warmer air invading Southeast Massachusetts will cut down on amounts t.
Gusts to 70 mph are possible at the immediate coast of both Cape Cod and Outer Cape Ann, with 60 mph gusts along the remainder of the Eastern New England coastline, and 50 mph gusts penetrating deep inland, all the way to some of Central New England.
It’s the widespread snow and wind that will create widespread blizzard conditions, which is a big part of what separates this storm from many others – so much of New England will be impacted by big snow totals and damaging wind gusts.
Road travel, on the other hand, is one of our biggest concerns – conditions with snow and wind will make travel disorienting and nearly impossible Tuesday midday through afternoon.
The storm wraps up by Tuesday night, and Wednesday looks quieter for most with some lingering snow showers in the mountains.