Sonya Iverson rides her bicycle to work during the snowstorm. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
BOSTON — Another winter storm is hitting Massachusetts, bringing with it heavy wet snow, rain and high winds.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for most of the state.
The snowfall will be heaviest in central and western portions of Massachusetts, which could see more than a foot. Most schools were closed Thursday in that part of the state, including Springfield and Worcester. Non-essential executive branch state workers in the five westernmost counties were also given the day off.
The snowfall total will be lower around Greater Boston. Areas right around the city are forecast to get up to 5 inches of snow, with higher accumulation in a band near Framingham and lower accumulation on southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.
For the Boston area, meteorologist David Epstein predicts snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour during the middle of the morning. Then, “during the afternoon, the rain or snow line will push west through Boston and continue westward past Route 495 after 3 p.m.”
State Highway Administrator Frank DePaola says for commuting, the worst part of the day may be the mid-afternoon.
“Leaving [work] early will put you right in the middle of the peak intensity of the storm,” he said, “so pretty much stay the whole day and by 5 p.m. the roads should be in good shape.”
The storm is also bringing strong winds, and Gov. Deval Patrick says the concern later Thursday will be power outages.
Boston University students on their way to classes during the snowstorm. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
“Utilities are staffed up and have crews at the ready,” he told WBUR, “and many communities are standing up, or are prepared to stand up, warming or other shelters during the course of the day in the event that’s necessary.”
The winds are also a concern at Logan International Airport, which is open but saw about 30 percent of flights canceled Thursday morning.
A wind advisory will be in effect from 2 p.m. through midnight.
With reporting by the WBUR Newsroom and The Associated Press
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