Photo: Getty Images
CHELSEA, Mass. (WBZNewsRadio) - With a major nor'easter poised to develop late Friday, residents across New England are preparing for a plethora of snowfall, possible power outages, high damaging winds, and coastal flooding.
National Grid said Wednesday that they're "ready to handle whatever this storm may bring". While Eversource had said they're looking at hiring hundreds of extra crews to tackle the wintry weather. Chris McKinnon, a spokesperson for Eversource, also urged people to make sure they have a storm safety kit ready to go.
This particular storm has the potential for significant impacts on travel. At Eastern Salt in Chelsea, the first salt-trucks have already left for the day. These trucks will travel across the state, replenishing salt supplies and coating the roads. At this particular location, they can fill anywhere from 400 to 600 trucks with salt per day, all depending on the weather.
With anywhere from 12" to 18" of snow expected in the Boston area, these trucks and plows will have their work cut out for them.
The height of the storm is expected between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, bringing limited visibility on the roads, and potentially make some roads impassable. Additionally many municipalities will have parking bans, so you'll want to check with your local authorities to find out any rules or restrictions put in place and plan accordingly. One thing is for certain, officials say, best to stay off the roads if at all possible.
A blizzard warning has now been issued for parts of eastern, northeastern and southeastern Massachusetts as of this morning, in effect starting Saturday at 7 a.m. through Sunday at 5 a.m. That warning includes places like Boston, Plymouth, Gloucester, Cape Cod and the islands and Quincy.
A winter storm warning has also been issued for most of the state, as well as some areas in Connecticut and Rhode Island. This warning runs from midnight through Saturday night. Snow totals anywhere from 8" to 24" are possible in the areas impacted.
And in the western part of the state, a winter storm watch will be in effect from late Friday through Saturday evening where 5" to 7" of snow are a possibility.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) reports
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App