Heavy, Wet Snow Could Cause Blackouts - Or Just Turn to Rain

he region is bracing for another weekend winter storm, and this one has the potential to bring heavy, wet snow known for causing blackouts and other difficulties. But, "potential" is the key term here.

The National Weather Service has established a hazardous weather outlook for Eastern Massachusetts and other nearby parts of New England. According to the NWS forecast, Saturday and Sunday will both see a mix of rain and snow continuing into late Sunday night with temperatures largely in the mid 30s.

The NWS forecast does call for 6-10 inches of snow, but  in areas with more elevation more toward Central Massachusetts. A Thursday night NWS snowfall map predicted less than one inch for the coast - now that stands at 4 to 6 inches. At WHDH in Boston, meteorologist Pete Bouchard writes on his blog that the rain/snow mix is more likely toward the South Shore and Cape Cod, with snow picking up in the Boston area after midnight Saturday.

Like the NWS forecast, WHDH also cites the likelihood of a heavy, wet snow with the potential to take down trees and power lines. The WHDH map shows this region in the 6 to 10 inch zone, with areas more toward the Merrimack Valley getting 10 to 16 inches.

In Lynnfield, DPW Director Dennis Roy told Lynnfield Patch this week that the blizzard that hit the area earlier this month had consumed the rest of the town’s snow budget for the year. As a result, he reported that he expects to ask selectmen next week to approve $150,000 in snow removal funds to hopefully get through the rest of the season, depending on what this upcoming weather incident has in store.