New England is in the sights of two massive storms forecast to collide tomorrow, bringing “a potentially historic” blizzard with up to 2 feet of snow and hurricane-force winds in Greater Boston, according to the latest grim forecasts from the National Weather Service.
The low-pressure systems — one headed northeast today from the Gulf of Mexico and a second plowing west to east from the Great Lakes — are forecast to merge tomorrow south of Long Island, then turn “explosive” as it heads north along the Interstate 95 corridor, according to the latest forecast.
“Right now it’s looking like it’s going to be predominantly snow for all of southern New England,” NWS meteorologist Kim Buttrick told the Herald.
Residents are already hearing from state and local authorities on how to adequately prepare and what is being done to protect them.
“We’re expecting the snow to begin tomorrow morning, say 7 a.m.,” Buttrick said. “It will be light in the morning. What we’re telling people is, if you can, try and have your errands and any other preparations done by noon. Best to just stay put and hunker down until the storm is over. The blizzard conditions are really expected to come Friday evening into the overnight.”
The NWS has not ruled out the potential for thunder, as well, as the snow comes down at 2 to 3 inches an hour with a cold front nipping at its heels.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced today classes at all Boston Public Schools have been canceled for tomorrow. Several other area schools including Somerville, Revere and Stoughton also have already canceled school. Later this afternoon, Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey and Highway Administrator Frank DePaola will brief the public on what they’re doing to stay on top of the weather and facilitate travel.
DePaola said this morning his crews have 4,500 pieces of state-owned and hired snow-removal equipment ready to roll and the salt and sand reserves are filled to capacity.
“We’re confident we have enough to deal with this storm,” DePaola said. “We’ve actually had over 24 hours notice. We’ve already started preparing as best we can. We’re reviewing our procedures, making sure we concentrate on the major routes. They’re probably going to activate the National Guard tomorrow to provide even more resources for the state.
“We’ve actually had 12 snow and ice events (this winter), but we haven’t had any big events in the last week, so we are well rested,” he said.
The blockbuster blizzard won’t just be scary and inconvenient, it threatens to be costly.
“Based on past winters, it costs $1.2 million for every inch of snow (removal),” DePaola said. “I am sure this will be a several-million-dollar event, if not in excess of $10 million.”
As the snow begins falling tomorrow, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said subway personnel will be hard at work trying to prevent snow and ice build-up in track beds and around switches.
“Crews will also be dispatched throughout the system to remove snow from train platforms, bus stops, and station entrances,” Pesaturo said. “During the overnight hours early Saturday, the MBTA will operate observation trains to prevent snow and ice build-up and look for any potential hazards such as downed trees or low-hanging limbs.”
If the commuter rail’s severe weather operating schedule has to be enacted, Pesaturo said, the number of trains running will be reduced to assure greater reliability.
Before hopping on public transportation in the storm, the MBTA advises, riders should monitoring its Twitter feeds for the latest updates. The department also has a special winter weather Web page at www.mbta.com/winter/.
A coastal flood watch has been posted for Newburyport south to the Cape and islands.
With seas potentially reaching 35 feet, Buttrick said, moderate to major flooding can be expected on east-facing shorelines, bringing severe beach erosion and the potential for structural damage. Among the most vulnerable areas will be storm-battered Plum Island, where local officials have already been scrambling to save several homes compromised by the vanishing beach.
“A number of shore routes could be impassable Friday evening,” she said.
Newbury Town Administrator Tracy Blais said, “We’re definitely concerned. Right now we’ve got eight privately owned homes in jeopardy.”
Those houses are on Annapolis Way on Plum Island, where Blais said storm after major storm has left property owners scrambling to surround themselves with sand bags. A local restaurant, the Beachcomber, recently held an event that raised $8,000 to help them and the town offset the costs.
“We’re definitely concerned the blizzard conditions will exacerbate the erosion conditions that already exist,” she said. “We’re making all the preparations, but we’re still very hopeful it won’t be so bad.”
Craig Hallstrom, president of NSTAR, said all 3,000 employees of the utility are on “high alert.”
“We’re well into our preparations for responding to potentially widespread power outages resulting from the nor’easter’s high winds and heavy snow,” Hallstrom said in a statement. “We prepare year-round for storms like this and stand ready to address damage to our system as soon as it becomes safe to do so.”
NSTAR spokesman Michael Durand said the greatest outage impacts are expected on the South Shore, south coast and Cape Cod.
“We have (several hundred) private line crews coming from Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Illinois, Maine and Pennsylvania,” Durand said. “We’re pre-staging those crews with materials — poles, transformers — to avoid having to move them around during whiteout conditions.”
In addition, Durand said NSTAR is opening up emergency operation centers across its service area for quick dispatching of help to customers where needed.
National Grid is warning customers it, too, “is preparing for widespread, prolonged power outages,” as a result of the storm’s wrath.
As always, the Massachusetts Port Authority advises air travelers to check with their airline for cancellations. Massport will make an announcement later today on how Logan International Airport plans to be tackle the blizzard.
Gov. Deval Patrick was in Washington, D.C., this morning to attend the swearing in of his former chief of staff William “Mo” Cowan as the state’s interim U.S. senator. Patrick’s spokeswoman Heather Johnson said the governor is coming home early this afternoon.
“He’s in close contact with the team here to get regular updates on the storm and its potential impact,” Johnson said.