Winter Weather Statement As of 4:23 PM EST on January 7, 2005 ... Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from Saturday morning to Saturday afternoon in much of interior southern New England... A fast developing but rapidly moving low pressure system will bring a period of heavy snow to a portion of southern New England Saturday. Amounts of 6 inches or a bit more... are possible in parts of the watch area. The most likely target for heavy snow appears to lie along and about 30 miles north of the mass Turnpike... up to the north border of the Bay State including the Merrimack valley. Springfield... Worcester... Boston... Greenfield... Fitchburg... Leominster... and Beverly are within the target zone. Along the south fringe of the watch area... from just south of Interstate 84 in southern Hartford County through southern parts of Tolland and Windham counties including Willimantic and Putnam Connecticut over into northwest Providence County Rhode Island... there may be an significant dose of freezing rain combining with a period of heavy wet snow to make for a very difficult day there. The freezing rain if it occurs... would cut back on snow accumulations. However... if the low pressure center tracks slightly further south of New England... the region from Hartford to Woonsocket would bear the brunt of the expected 4 to 8 inch snowfall. Due to the uncertainty of developments... a watch is continued for the potential of an 8 to 12 hour snowstorm Saturday. All untreated surfaces undoubtedly will become slippery in much of interior southern New England and even to Boston and its North Shore. So there is little question of wintery weather slowing travel considerably on Saturday. Its only a matter of how heavy. Those traveling into southern New Hampshire can expect several inches of snow there as well... and an advisory may be issued there. Please stay tuned this evening for an updated statement on expectations for a significant snow event Saturday... and be prepared to modify travel plans.
