It’s time to dig out your winter boots and snow brush for your car.
Wednesday will bring the first snowfall of the season for many across the Bay State, as meteorologists predict a widespread 1 to 2 inches of snow, with lower amounts along the coast.
While the light snowfall totals look to be minor, much of the snow will fall during the evening commute, so officials are urging people to plan for extra travel time and slow down on the roads.
“Not only will you be safer on snow if you curb your speed, you’ll have greater ability to stop if you need to,” said Mary Maguire of AAA Northeast. “Allow for more distance between your vehicle and the car in front of you. This will provide you with more stopping distance if you need to brake.”
The best chance for accumulation looks to be between 4 p.m. and midnight, and the best shot for higher snow amounts would be toward the Worcester Hills.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation advised people to clean snow off their vehicle, and to make sure their windshield wipers work and they have windshield washer fluid.
“So ask any Cop who has been on the job for few years which day normally has the most motor vehicle crashes? Answer: First snowfall of the year,” the Hanson Police Department tweeted. “Slow down, be safe, and keep your insurance rates down.”
Other advice from AAA Northeast is to inspect your tires to make sure they have the proper amount of tread.
“If not, replace them,” Maguire said. “Your tires are literally where the rubber meets the road when it comes to driving safely in rain, snow and ice, so they need to be in good condition and properly inflated.”
Drivers should also have their battery tested if it’s over 4 years old.
“You don’t want to be stranded if it’s cold,” Maguire said. “Carry a winter emergency kit and jumper cables. Fill your gas tank before a storm to improve traction on the road.”
After the snow on Wednesday, dry weather returns on Thursday before more unsettled weather is possible late this week into the weekend with warmer conditions.
Those warm conditions will come to an end between Sunday and Monday, as a robust cold front is forecast to push through the Northeast, bringing the next chance for substantial precipitation.
We are expecting our first snowflakes of the season this week, so let’s talk snow!
The average first measurable snow in Boston (Logan AP) is November 29th and the first 1″+ is December 8th.
Worcester normally sees the first measurable snow before Thanksgiving and this year it looks like the snow will fall right on schedule. We are forecasting 1″-3″ of snow in the Worcester area, Thursday, November 15, in the evening and through the overnight. The precipitation will switch from snow to a wintry mix around 1 AM Friday. By daybreak Friday morning all areas in our area will be seeing a cold rain.
In Boston, we have seen our first snow after the average first date for the last 3 years. Last year we had our first snow on December 9th.
Worcester has seen its first snow after the average date for the last two years. In 2014 and 2015, the first snow fell right around the average date.
Boston had 110.6″ of snow the winter of 2014-2015, that’s 66.7″ above average! Snow totals were below average the winter of 2015-2016, and we have been above average the last two winters.
-Jaisol Martinez
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Snow blanketed much of New England Friday for what was the first snowfall of the year for many across the area. Boston had never seen as much snow fall in October, let alone on a single day in the month.
Roads were slick and crashes were reported across the region, some resulting in injuries. The snow also knocked out power for thousands of people as the heavy snow toppled tree branches.
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The snow was initially expected to accumulate somewhere between one to two inches in Boston, two to three inches in the MetroWest area and perhaps even more in Worcester County.
But Boston easily exceeded that total by 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The 3.5 inches that had already come down by then -- with flakes still coming down -- set a record for October snowfall. It hit 4.3 inches by the evening, when the snow was tapering off.
The most snow that's ever fallen in a month in October, since records began, is 1.1 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
‼️ JUST IN: 4.3" at Logan officially! Biggest. October. Snow. On. Record.
— Chris Gloninger NBC10 Boston (@ChrisGNBCBoston) October 30, 2020
Good news (if you don't like snow): October snow usually means a quiet, mild winter. I warn you, however, it IS 2020. @NBC10Boston @NECN pic.twitter.com/yhALyb05u9
[2 PM] 🚨 Just in 🚨! Our climate site in #Boston is now up to 3.5 inches of #snow ❄️❄️ so far, easily surpassing the previous daily record (0.6") and monthly record (1.1"). #MAwx
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) October 30, 2020
Families were playing in the snow, though it could affect trick-or-treating plans for the weekend -- Halloween is expected to be bright and cool, with highs in the mid-40s, and snow my still be on the ground.
"It's just a nice change of pace, and everyone's talking about the snow instead of who they're voting for," said one woman in Boston.
IMAGES: Stunning Photos From New England's 1st Widespread Snowfall
But the rain, slush and slow made driving tricky. Massachusetts' transportation department had urged people to clear off their cars before driving and leave enough space between cars on the road.
Officials also warned drivers to watch out for bridge decks and exit ramps, which can be especially slippery in the snow. Black ice was also possible when the temperatures drop.
New England dealt with widespread snowfall Friday.
There were crashes throughout the region. Among them: an SUV flipped over on Route 9 in Wellesley, causing minor injuries, and another went down an embankment and hit the side of a home in Leicester, though no one was hurt.
State police warned there were serious crashes across the state and urged drivers to account for weather conditions.
We are responding to serious crashes all over the state. Weather conditions must be accounted for. Please go slowly and take extra time to reach your destination.
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) October 30, 2020
Snow accumulating on leaves made branches heavy, and many crashed off tree boughs, leaving visible damage behind. At one point, nearly 9,000 people were without power in Massachusetts Friday.
An early New England snow storm knocked out power in parts of Massachusetts and caused dangerous road conditions throughout the state.
Now that we are into November, many of us here in the Northeast are busy preparing for the upcoming winter season. Winter has already arrived across parts of the country and several Certified Snowfall Totals® have been completed. Let’s take a look back to see when our first snow usually occurs in comparison to some impressive records. As the table below shows, those along the I – 95 corridor typically do not see any snow before Thanksgiving.
And although New England typically receives its first accumulation of snow before the end of November, most of the Northeast has to wait until mid-December. However, it can snow well before these average "first snow" dates. Check out some of these snow amounts from just last year as an early season Nor'easter impacted much of New England the day before Halloween.
There were some other rather impressive early season snowfalls. One in particular occured on October 10, 1979 when a snowstorm swept up the East Coast. In fact, the storm canceled one of the World Series games between the Orioles and Pirates in Baltimore. Of course, when it comes to some of the largest and most damaging October snow events, that honor goes to October 2011. In this storm, heavy, wet snow accumulated over a foot across portions of the interior Northeast (over 2 feet at some elevations in New England) and led to numerous downed trees along with a massive amount of power outages. It’s important to note that early season snow events are especially dangerous because snow covered leaves will weigh down trees causing them to snap rather easily. Once these trees hit the power lines, trouble obviously ensues.