AM WEATHER UPDATE: The Blizzard of ‘13 Not Over—Prepare For More Snow
Saturday, February 09, 2013
The incredibly intense storm with whiteout snows and hurricane force wind gusts will wind down slowly as the day progresses. But snow bands will continue to dump a few more inches accumulation during the morning and perhaps early afternoon but at a somewhat reduced rate from what occurred overnight.
It still looks like the storm totals for snow accumulation will be on average around 2 feet, plus or minus 6 inches.
Very cold air being drawn into the departing storm will keep readings well below freezing today with lows tonight expected to be in the single numbers to low teens. This may well create additional hardship for those without power. Sunshine is expected Sunday with highs reaching close to freezing.
Worcester in State of Emergency
Worcester City Manager Michael O’Brien declared a State of Emergency for the city as of 12:00 p.m. on Friday, and Governor Deval Patrick declared a State of Emergency for all of Massachusetts and issued a statewide travel ban as of 4:00 p.m. Friday.
Nearly 200,000 people were without power across the Bay State late last night.
Click here to see the live power outage map.
The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) cancelled service for Saturday and will not resume its routes until Sunday, February 10.
The City issued a declared winter parking ban, in effect as of 9:00 a.m. Friday. There is no parking on either side of main streets, bus routes and downtown streets. Parking is allowed only on the odd numbered side of all other streets unless otherwise posted. Illegally parked vehicles are the biggest obstacle to effective snow removal efforts. Vehicles that violate the winter parking ban or otherwise hinder snow removal will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.
Worcester residents with storm-related issues are asked to call the Department of Public Works Customer Service Center at (508) 929-1300, which was open and staffed as of 7:30 a.m. Friday and will remain so through the storm and into Saturday or longer depending on the severity of the storm. Residents should call this number to report down trees, loss of heat, tree limbs, blocked roadways or other City related storm issues.
The City's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was fully staffed and operational as of 10:00 a.m. Friday morning with critical City personnel and departments such as Public Works & Parks, Inspectional Services, Public Health, Communications, Police, Fire and the City Manager’s office.
Worcester's Department of Public Works & Parks commenced plowing operations at 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon, with over 400 pieces of departmental and contracted snow removal equipment to clear snow from the streets. Click here for photos of the City's response efforts.
Who got it right?
There were plenty of snowfall predictions from meteorologists all across the region, but as the last flakes fall today, who came closest to correctly predicting the total accumulation?
At the end of the day, how did the Blizzard of '13 match up against the biggest winter storms in Massachusetts? Click here to see the 10 worst snow storms in Bay State history.
Related Articles
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- PM WEATHER UPDATE: Worst of the Blizzard Underway Now
- The First Effects of the Blizzard in Worcester
- AM WEATHER UPDATE: Blizzard May Bring Up to 3 Feet of Snow
- LIVE MAP: National Grid Power Outages
- New England Meteorologist Forecasts on the Blizzard: Who Will Be Right?
- NEW: Patrick Declares State of Emergency, Bans Vehicle Traffic After 4PM
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