Monday, February 11, 2013
Light, fluffy snow on rooftops can act as a sponge for rain, which is in the forecast for Monday. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency offers these tips.
With rain in the region's forecast for Monday, the Blizzard of '13 may not be finished wreaking havoc in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency warns that fluffy snow piled high on roofs can act as a sponge, absorbing rain and adding additional stress to structures. Relatively flat roofs are particularly vulnerable, MEMA says. In other cases, roof ice dams have formed causing water build-up, leading to interior damage. These conditions can accelerate the snowmelt. To minimize the risk of over-stressing a building roof due to accumulated or drifting snow: Information from a release by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency was used in this report.
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…
Hopkinton Schools will be closed Monday, according to a notice on the district website.
Hopkinton Schools will remain closed Monday, according to an announcement on the school system website.
Emergency responders report no major issues caused by snow or winds.
Hopkinton may have had wind gusts stronger than 40 miles per hour and snow accumulation above two feet, but that didn't cause any problems according to emergency responders. "We haven't had any surprised and a very few amount of emergency responses," Hopkinton Fire Lieutenant William Miller said at 5 p.m. Saturday. According to Miller, the biggest issue came in the morning when several calls came in needing a response for carbon monoxide. "We had two calls for carbon monoxide this morning, but even that wasn't a big issue," he said.
Browse 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 Holliston and Hopkinton! If you snapped some pictures or shot some videos, share them here. Just click the "upload photos and videos," button above.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Bookmark this page for local updates as we make our way through the storm.
Editor's note: Holliston and Hopkinton-centric updates on the blizzard (cancellations, emergency notices) will be posted here. Sautrday: 1:00 p.m.: MEMA has announced that the driving ban will be lifted at 4 p.m. 11:30 a.m.: The travel ban remains in effect across the state. Several area departments stopped drivers for violating the ban overnight. 11:00 a.m.: NWS is reporting that Framingham receieved 30 inches of snow so far. Hopkinton and Holliston are expected to have similar amounts. Show us how much snow you have. Friday: 11:30 p.m.: The latest National Weather Service measurement has Framingham at 14 inches of snow (measured at 10:51). They don't have numbers for Hopkinton or Holliston. 8:00 p.m.: The latest update is that the storm…
The Saturday suspension of mail delivery debate applies to today: but not because of USPS budget problems!
You may be wondering if there'll be any new mail in your mailbox today (that is, if you can even make it to your mailbox, with all this snow.) The answer is that mail service in all of New England — not just Massachusetts — has been suspended, according to the Huffington Post. The ban extends throughout all six New England states. The unusual decision was made due to safety concerns, according to Postal Service spokeswoman Christine Dugas. The decision came after over two feet of snow falling throughout much of New England made many roads impassable, she said. Dugas reminded people to clear around their mailboxes or paths to their homes by Monday, when mail delivery will resume.
Find the latest updates about the blizzard and how it's impacting Holliston and Hopkinton.
Thanks to the blizzard, Holliston-Hopkinton is expecting up to 30 inches of snow this weekend. See how many inches have fallen in your area with the LIVE map below.
The map above, provided by the National Weather Service, shows snowfall in the past 24 hours. It is updated every 6 hours. This is not a map showing overall snow depth: It only tracks the amount of snow that has fallen in the past day. The map is centered around the red marker, which is in the middle of Holliston-Hopkinton Patch's coverage area.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Winds and snow drifts, however, could continue through the weekend.
Snow is falling hard throughout the region and it is forecast to continue into Saturday afternoon. "I still think we'll see accumulating snow throughout the early part of the afternoon, but after 3 p.m., the storm may breath its last breath," wrote WHDH Chief Meteorologist Pete Bouchard in the Channel 7 Weather Blog. The storm will start to pull out to ocean by midday, Bouchard said. The snow will pull away with the storm, but the wind will pick up. "Blowing and drifting will be issues through early Sunday," wrote Bouchard. When all is over with, the National Weather Service is predicting, the storm will have dropped about two feet of snow on the area. Those totals were lowered from Friday morning predictions.
