Statement from Taunton, MA National Weather Service

[ColdFront77]

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
549 PM EST THU DEC 4 2003

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-051145-
BARNSTABLE-BLOCK ISLAND-BRISTOL-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY-CHESHIRE-
DUKES-EASTERN ESSEX-EASTERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN HAMPDEN-
EASTERN HAMPSHIRE-EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH-EASTERN KENT-EASTERN NORFOLK-
EASTERN PLYMOUTH-HARTFORD-NANTUCKET-NEWPORT-NORTHERN BRISTOL-
NORTHERN WORCESTER-NORTHWEST MIDDLESEX COUNTY-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE-SOUTHERN BRISTOL-
SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH-SOUTHERN WORCESTER-SUFFOLK-TOLLAND-WASHINGTON-
WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH-WESTERN ESSEX-WESTERN FRANKLIN-
WESTERN HAMPDEN-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE-WESTERN KENT-WESTERN NORFOLK-
WESTERN PLYMOUTH-WINDHAM-
549 PM EST THU DEC 4 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...
MASSACHUSETTS EAST OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY...NORTHEAST CONNECTICUT AND
RHODE ISLAND.

.DAY ONE...
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES ALONG THE MASS TURNPIKE WILL
DIMINISH OVER CAPE COD OVERNIGHT. SPOTTY DUSTINGS TO 1/2 INCH FROM
NEAR WORCESTER TO BROCKTON AND THE CAPE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
AN UNUSUALLY LONG DURATION AND COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT OUR
AREA BEGINNING SOMETIME LATE FRIDAY...POSSIBLY NOT ENDING UNTIL
SUNDAY EVENING IN COASTAL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS.

START TIMES WILL VARY...RANGING FROM FRIDAY EVENING IN CONNECTICUT
RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...POSSIBLY NOT REACHING
NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE TILL LATE SATURDAY
MORNING.

MULTIPLE IMPACT FROM THIS STORM WILL BE SNOW AND SLEET REMOVAL...
COASTAL FLOODING FROM 20 FOOT SEAS AT HIGH TIDE SUNDAY MORNING ON THE
EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS COAST COMBINED WITH A 1.5 TO 2.5 SURGE...
POSSIBLE WIND DRIVEN POWER OUTAGES FROM CAPE COD TO BOSTON AND
NEWBURYPORT LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY DUE TO WIND GUST POTENTIAL OF
65 MPH.

.SNOWFALL...
IN EXCESS OF HALF OF A FOOT IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF INTERIOR
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND BY THE TIME THE STORM WINDS DOWN SUNDAY OR
SUNDAY EVENING. THIS LONG DURATION STORM WILL LIKELY REQUIRE MULTIPLE
PLOWINGS...SNOW WILL COME DOWN AT VARYING RATES FOR A PERIOD BETWEEN
25 AND 40 HOURS. "POTENTIAL" EXISTS FOR AMOUNTS WELL OVER A FOOT IN
A FEW LOCATIONS. THERE WILL BE RECOVERY TIMES BETWEEN BANDS OF
HEAVY SNOW. ACCUMULATION RATES MAY REACH AN INCH OR 2 AN HOUR FOR
A FEW HOURS DURING THIS STORM.

SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING SNOW MAY DEVELOP IN THE WORCESTER HILLS.

SLEET AND RAIN WILL TRIM AMOUNTS OVER SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS AND
SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND...MAINLY ALONG OR SOUTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 95.

CAPE COD MAY PICK UP A GOOD DOSE OF SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT THEN WARM INTO
THE 40S SATURDAY AND MELT IT ALL...THEN THE UPPER CAPE...ESPECIALLY
WEST OF HYANNIS MAY HAVE A SERIOUS BACKLASH DEVELOP SUNDAY MORNING
WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW DRIVEN BY 50 MPH WINDS CREATING NASTY
WINTER CONDITIONS.

THE AXIS OF MAX SNOWFALL FOR THE MOMENT IS EXPECTED FROM HARTFORD TO
WORCESTER TO BEVERLY IN NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS. THAT COULD SHIFT
NORTHWESTWARD. ITS FAR FAR TOO EARLY TO BE SURE.

A WATCH HASN'T BEEN ISSUED YET FOR SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE BUT MAY
BE NEEDED IN LATER FORECASTS.

.COASTAL FLOODING SUNDAY...
TIDES ARE NOT ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH BUT TIMING OF NEAR 20 FOOT SEAS AND
A STORM SURGE OF AT LEAST 2 FEET WITHIN 90 MINUTES EITHER SIDE OF
THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE...DRIVEN BY THE PERSISTENTLY STRONG NORTHEAST
ONSHORE WIND...WOULD LIKELY PRODUCE MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING ALONG
THE TYPICALLY VULNERABLE LOCATIONS OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS. ROAD
CLOSURES AND DEBRIS CLEARANCE AS WELL AS COASTAL FLOODING ARE
REALISTIC POSSIBILITIES. THE COASTAL FLOOD THREAT MAY ALSO OCCUR
INSIDE CAPE COD BAY...ESPECIALLY BARNSTABLE HARBOR AREA WESTWARD.

.HIGH WIND...
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY CAPE COD BUT ALSO DAMAGE
MAY OCCUR FROM MARGINAL HIGH WIND IN OTHER COASTAL SOUTHEASTERN NEW
ENGLAND LOCATIONS WHERE WET SNOW ACCUMULATES MORE THAN 4 INCHES ON
TREES AND WIRES. 60 KNOT WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE ON THE COASTAL
WATERS NEAR CAPE COD. POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE....MAINLY EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUESTED THIS WEEKEND. STAY TUNED
FOR MORE INFORMATION IN LATER OUTLOOKS.
$$

DRAG