Boston, Mass. – A major, long-duration blizzard is set to slam Massachusetts, Rhode Island and northern Connecticut beginning late Sunday afternoon and lasting through early Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a Blizzard Warning from 4 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Tuesday across nearly all of southern New England.
Eastern Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island face the most severe impacts, with total snow accumulations between 18 and 25 inches and wind gusts as high as 75 mph. Boston, Providence, New Bedford, Plymouth and Cape Cod communities could see near-zero visibility at times in intense blowing snow.
Central and western Massachusetts, including Worcester, Springfield and Lowell, are forecast to receive 12 to 22 inches of snow with wind gusts up to 55 mph. In Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties in Connecticut, 12 to 20 inches are expected with similar wind speeds.
Nantucket could see 8 to 11 inches of snow but extreme wind gusts up to 75 mph, raising the risk of significant drifting and coastal impacts.
Whiteout conditions are likely during peak snowfall Monday, with visibility frequently dropping below one-quarter mile. Major routes including I-90 (Mass Pike), I-95, I-93, Route 128, I-84 and I-91 may become impassable at times.
The combination of heavy snow and very strong winds may bring down tree limbs and power lines, resulting in scattered to widespread power outages.
Officials strongly urge residents to avoid all non-emergency travel from late Sunday afternoon through Monday night. Both the Monday morning and evening commutes are expected to be severely impacted.
Conditions are expected to gradually improve early Tuesday morning as the storm pulls away, but cleanup and lingering hazardous travel may continue beyond the warning period.
