Home ahead of the storm
Yesterday was a day for keeping an eye on the weather forecast, for setting a target time for hopping into my car (this morning) for the 4 1/2 hour drive home. When I headed to upstate New York early on Friday the track of tonight's storm was still somewhat unknown, with the possibility remaining that the massive storm would veer out to sea after passing over Cape Cod. That didn't happen.
By late afternoon yesterday there was a blizzard warning up for a chunk of eastern Massachusetts. Hmm... It still sounded like the bulk of the storm wouldn't hit until late this afternoon or tonight, but the blizzard warning was noted as starting at noon. I decided it would be a good idea to start driving early today; 7AM seemed like a good time to hit the road.
The road was dry, with snow flurries starting to fly through the air as I crossed from New York into Massachusetts. Traffic was moving at just above the posted speed limit until I crossed into the eastern side of the state. There, the traffic slowed to about 40 miles per hour. It took a while for me to see the cause of the slowdown. As I peered ahead, I saw flashing arrows on the back of a truck pointing to the right and to the left. I moved into the right lane and was soon close enough to see the reason for the slowing traffic. The truck running down the center lane of the eastbound MassPike was a serious vehicle with two plow blades - one facing forward (yes, still lifted off of the road surface), one folded back against the right side of the truck, a blade that would easily cover a second highway lane when unfolded and in use. The combination plow / salt truck was scattering salt across all three lanes of the highway, a preparation for the snow to com. Once I moved past the truck, the highway speed quickly returned to (dry road) normal.
I arrived home well before the snow started here.
It's been snowing for a number of hours now, snow accompanied by gusting wind. Yes, tomorrow is definitely going to be a work from home day.
Blizzard Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
532 PM EST SUN DEC 26 2010
...A DANGEROUS WINTER STORM APPROACHING SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...
LOW PRESSURE OFF THE DELAWARE COAST WILL INTENSIFY INTO A POWERFUL NOREASTER TONIGHT AS IT PASSES NEAR NANTUCKET MONDAY MORNING. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW HAMPSHIRE... MUCH OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS... RHODE ISLAND AND CONNECTICUT. THIS STORM WILL PULL AWAY FROM SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND MONDAY WITH SNOW TAPERING OFF DURING THE MORNING BUT STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE... ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST.
A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY.
Warning & map courtesy of the Boston office of the National Weather Service
