NEW: Blizzard Conditions, Arctic Temperatures Expected Tuesday

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

John Ghiorse, GoLocalWorcester Meteorlogist

Brutally cold Arctic air will combine with a coastal storm to bring winter back with a vengeance to Southern New England beginning this afternoon and extending through tomorrow morning.

The heaviest snow should occur tonight and likely will accumulate the most in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts including the Cape and Islands. Lesser amounts are likely from the Worcester area north and west into ski country.

The snow will not be the heavy, wet stuff we usually get from these storms -- but rather fluffy, thus it will blow around and drift easily in the strong, gusty northeast winds. Measuring accumulations may be difficult due to the blowing and drifting snow but 8" upwards to a foot are likely with isolated higher amounts possible especially on the Cape and Islands. The Worcester area should see totals closer to 6" to 8".

It will be brutally cold with readings in the teens and single numbers and feel-like readings below zero during the storm. Clearing is expected Wednesday afternoon but temperatures may not crack much above 20 degrees until Saturday when more, lighter snow is possible.

National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...UPDATED

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

441 AM EST TUE JAN 21 2014

...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS FAR SOUTHEASTERN

MASSACHUSETTS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING......

HEAVY SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...

MAZ004-012-026-211745-

/O.CON.KBOX.WS.W.0003.140121T1800Z-140122T1800Z/

/O.CON.KBOX.WC.Y.0003.140122T0300Z-140122T1500Z/

NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BARRE...FITCHBURG...MILFORD...

WORCESTER...AYER

441 AM EST TUE JAN 21 2014

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS

AFTERNOON TO 1 PM EST WEDNESDAY...

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING

TO 10 AM EST WEDNESDAY...

* LOCATIONS...WORCESTER AND NORTHWEST MIDDLESEX COUNTIES IN

MASSACHUSETTS.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 10 INCHES.

* TIMING...FROM MIDDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...SNOW COVERED ROADWAYS WILL CAUSE DIFFICULT DRIVING

CONDITIONS. PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG WITH GUSTY

WINDS WILL CAUSE VISIBILITIES OF ONE MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.

* WINDS...NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* WIND CHILL READINGS...AS LOW AS 18 BELOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE

INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD...OR FOR 8 OR MORE

INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST ON WELL

TREATED SURFACES...AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON ANY UNPLOWED OR

UNTREATED SURFACES.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE WIND CHILL INDEX IS

LIKELY TO REACH -15 TO -24 DEGREES FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS.

FROSTBITE CAN DEVELOP IN JUST 30 MINUTES WITH A WIND CHILL INDEX

OF -20. IF YOU ARE HEADING OUTDOORS...DRESS IN LAYERS AND WEAR A

HAT AND GLOVES.

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