NORTHAMPTON – Tuesday night’s snowstorm may have been havoc-free, but a snow squall is set to hit Hampshire County around rush hour, and motorists are advised to stay off the roads when it does.
“It’s just going to make driving really difficult and potentially dangerous,” said Andy Nash, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norton.
Nash compared the coming squall event to mid-summer thunderstorms in intensity, except with snow and without the thunder and lightning. He predicted gusty, near whiteout conditions for 30 minutes, with precipitation of half an inch to two inches, and said the event is currently predicted to hit around 3 to 5 p.m.
“You don’t want to be out trying to drive around in that,” said Nash.
He also said that the freshly fallen snow can easily turn to ice under the wheels of a car.
In terms of temperature, Nash said that temperatures may rise to the low 20s today, but will fall, particularly after the snow squall event. He said that tonight temperatures in the county will be a few degrees above or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of -15 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Last night’s snowstorm yielded no major accidents reported from area police departments. Easthampton reported two snow tows, while Amherst reported 25.
Early morning snowfall recording, listed on the National Weather Service’s website, named Cummington and Huntington as the area snowfall champions, each with 5 inches of snow as of 7 and 5:07 a.m. respectively. Northampton saw 4 inches of snow as of 3:44 a.m., while Amherst saw 3.5 inches of snow as of 6 a.m.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.