Snow on the way: Winter storm warning issued for most of Massachusetts ahead of storm

A winter storm warning has been issued for much of Massachusetts ahead of a weekend nor’easter threatening to drop up to a foot of snow in some areas.

The warning goes into effect at 4 p.m. on Saturday through 1 am. on Monday.

The warning is in effect in Northern Berkshire, Southern Berkshire, Central Middlesex County, Eastern Franklin, Eastern Hampden, Eastern Hampshire, Northern Worcester, Northwest Middlesex County, Southern Worcester, Western Essex, Western Franklin, Western Hampden, Western Hampshire, Eastern Essex, Eastern Norfolk, Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, and Western Norfolk counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Boston upgraded from a winter storm watch to a winter storm warning in the overnight hours of Friday into Saturday.

Heavy snow is expected in northern Worcester County and the Merrimack Valley. Up to 8-12 inches of snow will fall in the “jackpot” area of the storm while southern bands of 5 -8 inches and 3-5 inches of snow extend down through Norfolk County. The storm is projected to taper off, turning into a wet mix the closer it gets to Cape Cod.

Saturday night into Sunday night travel delays will set in.

“Early Sunday morning is when our storm will be at its worst, and for communities along or west of I-95, roads will be too,” said Boston 25 Meteorologist Tucker Antico.

However, roads east of I-95 will stay relatively clear until late Sunday afternoon and evening.

Cold temperatures can also create slick spots, according to Antico.

“This is gonna be more than just heavy snow, we’ve got strong winds, especially along the coastline, and power outages because of the heavy wet sticky nature of the snow,” adds Boston 25 Meteorlogist Shiri Spear.

Peak storm conditions will happen Sunday morning through the midday hours. The system is expected to move out by Sunday night.

“By 1:00 p.m., just before [Patriots] kickoff, you have snow, probably three to four inches on the ground but on its way out through the afternoon and into the evening,” said Chief Meteorologist Lemanowicz.

Just after 9:00 p.m., MassDOT alerted drivers that over 875 pieces of equipment were on their way to keep roadways clear.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Friday spoke to reporters about how the city is preparing ahead of the storm.

“Our vehicles and our drivers and our city teams are out there trying to prepare the streets, treat them before the snow comes down, clear when it does come down, and then make sure that they are safe,” Wu said.

The mayor said crews are also prepping all city vehicles to ensure they are working properly to treat city roads.

The storm is not expected to have an impact on Monday. Wu said she hopes that the storm projections will stay that way.

“The timing of this so far, fingers crossed, does mean that it should have less of an impact on the normal rhythms of our weekday commutes and school pickups and drop-offs and all that,” Wu said.

Stay with the Boston 25 Weather Team for updates as the storm moves into the state.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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