NEW: Winter Storm Thursday Midday Update

Thursday, February 13, 2014

John Ghiorse, GoLocalWorcester Meteorlogist

Central Massachusetts could receive upwards of a foot of snow, mixed with some sleet and rain, by the end of the day Thursday.

The storm centered over eastern North Carolina this morning will track very close to Cape Cod late tonight. With the changeover taking place gradually, first along the coast later this morning then progressing inland during the afternoon, heavy accumulated snow will become a slushy, slippery, sloppy mess by the evening commute.

Estimated snow accumulations before the changeover are upwards of a foot in the Worcester area, 6-10" in Northwestern Rhode Island, 4-8" in and around Providence then dropping off to 3-5" around Westerly and 2-4" in the Newport area. Those totals could get higher or lower depending on the timing of the change to sleet and rain. There could be a brief change back to lighter snow late tonight but any further accumulation would be light by comparison.

Related Slideshow: Top 10 Blizzards in MA History

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10. Blizzard of 2006

Max Accumulation: Approximately 22"

February 11-13, 2006

Arriving on the evening of Feb. 13, this Nor’easter resulted in heavy snow, coastal flooding and a storm surge in Massachusetts. Wilbraham was the hardest hit area receiving more than 22 inches of snow.

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9. Blizzard of 2010

Max Accumulation: Approximately 24"

December 22-29, 2010

This historic blizzard brought as much as two feet of snow to parts of Massachusetts and caused Boston to declare a State of Emergency.

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8. Winter Storm Nemo

Max Accumulation: Approximately 25"

February 7-18, 2013

Total snowfall in Boston reached nearly 25 inches, making it the fifth-highest total ever recorded in the city.

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7. 1969 Nor’easter

Max Accumulation: Approximately 26"

February 8-10, 1969

This storm blanketed many parts of Massachusetts with upwards of 20 inches of snow, including 26.3 in Boston.

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6. Blizzard of 2003

Max Accumulation: Approximately 27.5"

February 14-19, 2013

Know as the President’s Day Storm II, this blizzard brought a record-setting 27.5 inches of snow to Boston.

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5. Blizzard of 1996

Max Accumulation: Approximately 30"

Jan. 6-10, 1996

One of two blizzards to receive an “extreme” rating on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, this storm blanketing parts of Western Massachusetts with upwards of 30 inches of snow.

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4. Blizzard of 1978

Max Accumulation: Approximately 32"

February 5-7, 1978

This historic nor’easter brought a then-record 27.1 inches of snowfall to Boston and over 32 inches to Rockport. Additionally, the storm killed 73 Bay State residents.

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3. April Fool's Day Blizzard

Max Accumulation: Approximately 33"

March 30 to April 1, 1997

This blizzard was no joke, dropping a record-breaking 33 inches on Worcester.

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2. Blizzard of 2005

Max Accumulation: Approximately 40"

January 20-23, 2005

This three-day storm delivered more than 40 inches of snow in Mashpee, Massachusetts, one of the hardest hit areas. Some portions of Massachusetts reported 6 foot snow drifts.

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1. Great Blizzard of 1888

Max Accumulation: Approximately 50"

March 11-14, 1888

One of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the United States, this superstorm dumped as much as 50 inches of snow in parts of Massachusetts.