Although meteorologists differ about the total amount of snow the Pioneer Valley and Hilltowns should expect by the end of the day on Wednesday, the direction from the state Department of Transportation is clear: Stay off the roads.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning that stretched from eastern Pennsylvania to most of New England, from late Tuesday night into Thursday morning. Snowfall is expected to start in the morning on Wednesday and pick up steam throughout the afternoon before winding down early Thursday.
On Tuesday, meteorologists offered total accumulation estimates ranging from a minimum of 6 to 12 inches to a maximum of 10 to 18 inches for the region.
Snowfall is expected to be greater in the Berkshires and the Hilltowns because of their altitude. Hilltown residents should expect at least a foot, according to Bob Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton.
“It wouldn’t shock me if there’s a 22-inch total somewhere,” he said. “It’s a very juicy storm.”
Given the uncertainty, schools (and, no doubt, parents) are making plans that may change. Hampshire Regional students are to be dismissed early Wednesday, but Superintendent Craig Jurgensen said that a full cancellation has not yet been ruled out.
“We’ll be monitoring the situation closely,” he said Tuesday afternoon, adding that he’s more concerned about a possible cancellation for Thursday.
The plan for students in Northampton and Amherst-Pelham public schools is also to send them home early Wednesday, before the bulk of the snowfall is expected to come down.
Granby announced a parking ban from Wednesday at 8 a.m. until Thursday at 4 p.m. Other communities are expected to declare bans.
In a statement released Tuesday, Department of Transportation Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver advised Massachusetts residents to stay off the roads if possible, urging them to take public transportation if they must travel.
Wednesday’s nor’easter comes on the heels of another major storm that rocked the eastern part of the state last week, resulting in widespread power outages and coastal flooding.
The course of this week’s storm appears to be more westerly, dropping heavy snow in a wide band from Philadelphia northeast through Maine, while coastal residents in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts will see mostly rain, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Simpson.
Damaging winds are also in the forecast, with gusts of up to 60 mph at Cape Cod, 45 mph at the Jersey shore and 30 mph around suburban Philadelphia.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.