A massive storm is gearing up to hit southern New England on Sunday and forecasters expect it will bring 18 to 24 inches of snow across parts of southeastern and coastal regions of the state.
This powerful winter storm will bring significant impacts to much of the region Sunday afternoon into Monday, with heavy snowfall, strong winds and blizzard conditions for Rhode Island and much of the eastern part of Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service.
Strong winds combined with heavy, wet snow will create a significant risk of power outages across Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts.
Forecasters are also warning about serious concerns of coastal flooding, with a surge of 2 to 3 feet coinciding with high tide between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Monday.
The weather service issued a Blizzard Warning for southeastern and coastal areas of Massachusetts. Residents should expect travel to become nearly impossible into Monday.
Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour will be possible at times and widespread wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected, including well inland areas such as Springfield and central Massachusetts corridors.
Snow flurries will turn into accumulating snow in the late afternoon, with the heaviest snowfall expected from late Sunday night through Monday afternoon, according to forecasters.
Eastern and coastal regions of the state are expected to see snowfall totals of 18 to 24 inches.
Farther west, including Springfield and central Massachusetts, the National Weather Service is predicting 12 to 18 inches of snow.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for those areas beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday through 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Forecasters are also warning about potentially damaging winds during the storm, with gusts close to 60 mph in the coastal regions. Cape Cod and islands could see wind gusts as strong as 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Local forecasts for Sunday:
- Boston, MA: High 37 degrees, Low 28 degrees, Mostly Cloudy
- Hyannis, MA: High 36 degrees, Low 28 degrees, Mostly Cloudy
- Pittsfield, MA: High 32 degrees, Low 22 degrees, Chance Light Snow
- Springfield, MA: High 37 degrees, Low 25 degrees, Slight Chance Snow then Cloudy
- Worcester, MA: High 34 degrees, Low 23 degrees, Cloudy
