Thursday, February 21, 2013
The National Weather Service and many of the local weather forecasters are calling for snow again this weekend.
The National Weather Service and many of the local weather forecasters are calling for snow again this weekend - the third weekend in a row. Depending on which forecast you trust, Westwood could get anywhere between 4 inches to a foot of snow. Westwood received about two feet earlier this month from the Blizzard of 2013. The National Weather Service reported there is a "high probability for a strong coastal storm to impact Southern New England late Saturday night into Sunday. Possible heavy wet snow to portions of the region along with strong winds along the coast. Exact specifics are still uncertain at this time given it's still 3-4 days away." But WHDH-TV is predicting the area could see 8-12 inches from the storm this weekend. WHDH …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Our local weather specialist says our "next bit of winter weather" is coming Monday morning.
It ain't over yet. Jim Arnold, weather specialist with Shrewsbury Emergency Management, said it looks like our extra bit of winter weather is arriving Monday morning in the form of snow, sleet, freezing rain .... and then finally rain. "A warm front approaching from the west and southwest late tonight and tomorrow will bring a wintry mix of precipitation beginning around dawn Monday and continuing throughout much of the day," said Arnold. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory, corroborating Arnold's predictions with a forecast that also calls for freezing rain and sleet. The advisory is in effect from 6-11 a.m. on Monday for Southwest Massachusetts. "Once again, we have cold air well established and it will take…
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Browse through your neighbors' photos, and add your own!
When the snow started falling Friday, we began collecting photos from the storm. Let's build on our gallery of photos that show how the blizzard impacted Westwood! If you snapped some pictures or shot some videos, share them here. Just click the "upload photos and videos," button above.
Do you agree with the governor's decision or was it too drastic?
All non-emergency drivers were ordered off the roads on Friday when Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order banning travel during the blizzard. (Editor's note: The ban is lifted statewide as of 4 p.m. Saturday.) Patrick's executive order is being praised by some and bashed by others, reported The Boston Globe. While former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was in charge of the commonwealth during the Blizzard of ’78, praised the governor’s move, others called the order “tyrannical” and say the strict ban and hefty fines were too much, according to The Globe. Those caught violating the ban would face up to a year in jail and a $500 fine. What do you think? Do you agree with the governor’s decision or do you think the travel ban …
Bookmark this page for local updates as we make our way through the storm.
Editor's note: Westwood-centric updates on the blizzard (cancellations, emergency notices) will be posted here. *Update, 1 p.m., Feb. 9: The travel ban for non-emergency residents will be lifted at 4 p.m. Saturday. *Update, Saturday morning: snowfall totals for the region so far range from 14 to 18 inches (snow drifts make it appear like more in some areas). In Westwood, power outages haven't been a major issue so far, with only two of NStar's 5,618 customers out as of 8:30 a.m. *Update: Westwood Emergency Management Director Michael Jaillet declared a snow and ice emergency for the town until 6 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, "to facilitate snow and ice removal." "Parking on town ways is hereby prohibited during the period of the emergency and …
Bookmark this page through the weekend for the latest you need to know about the storm in Westwood.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Let's measure the blizzard through lawn ornaments!
We at Patch like to have fun – even when we’re covering a story as big as the Blizzard of ’13! So when the biggest storm in years (potentially in the history of Boston weather) is headed our way, we get into battle mode – and even get a little silly. That’s what this idea is about – and we want you to take part too! A fun way we want to track the storm across Massachusetts is through lawn ornaments. They serve a purpose in the spring and summer, but often feel left out in the cold of winter. Not anymore. We are posting photos of lawn ornaments throughout Massachusetts to highlight snowfall across the commonwealth during and after the storm. All you need to do is hit the Upload Photos and Videos button and upload your own. If we’re stuck at…
Governor Deval Patrick has declared a State of Emergency, but what does that mean?
Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency today banning car travel after 4 p.m. According to information from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, a state of emergency can involve different measures and does not always affect travel or private businesses. There may be a request for drivers to stay off the roads and for businesses to change their hours, but the governor may also order roads to be closed to non-emergency traffic. There has not been an ordered ban on travel since the Blizzard of '78. Violators could be fined up to $500 and be sentenced to a year in jail, although Governor Patrick says the main purpose is to get non-essential people off the roads. The state of emergency does not mean the state will …
A blizzard warning is in effect until 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9.
OK, so that two feet of snow we were preparing to get last night? Better add another foot to that. The National Weather Service on Friday morning adjusted its predicted snowfall totals to three feet. The timing of the snowfall is roughly the same: with light snow falling in Worcester, Middlesex and Norfolk counties Friday morning, and becoming heavy later in the afternoon and into the Friday evening commute. So, as WHDH meteorologist Jeremy Reiner notes in his blog, you have a "few hours left this morning" to run some errands, but travel will deteriorate this afternoon. By 7 tonight, most towns will have 2 to 4 inches, Reiner predicted. The storm should be the worst from 7 p.m. Friday to noon tomorrow, when snow could fall at a rate of 2 …
Check back throughout the day for storm updates relevant to Westwood.
JT
3:40 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
People should use their common sense in situations like this--but there are always some who won't and will endanger others in the process. The ban was good in that respect, and the $500 fine certainly should have made folks think twice if they were hesitating over driving or staying home for no particular reason. However, the threatened jail time was absurd--and enough's been said about that here… more ›