Winter storm winds down
A storm that featured near blizzard conditions in Wareham is slowing down this afternoon after bringing high wind gusts and poor visibility.
Bill Simpson, a Taunton-based National Weather Service meteorologist, said snow and wind will continue to diminish. However, depending on your location heavy snow may persist into the evening.
“It ain’t over yet,” Simpson said.
No official snow accumulation total is available for Wareham, but Simpson reported that 5.5 inches had fallen in nearby Sandwich as of 3:30 p.m.
“The snow banding will vary tremendously,” Simpson said, adding that 9 inches had fallen so far on Martha’s Vineyard and Yarmouthport.
Periods of light snow are forecast now until Wednesday morning, which could push the total snow fall between 6 to 12 inches.
The storm is passing without any major power outages reported by Eversource. According to the company’s online outage map, one customer is without electricity.
To report a power outage, call Eversource at 1-800-592-2000.
Town shuts down ahead of blizzard warning
Town offices and schools closed down and a parking ban was issued as Wareham prepared for another round of nasty winter weather.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning from 4 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8.
Snow, heavy at times, fell throughout the day Monday with 10 to 16 inches of accumulation predicted. Wind gusts of 15 to 20 miles per hour were forecast.
The National Weather Service cautioned that heavy, wet snow and strong winds may result in downed tree limbs and possible power outages.
The storm is expected to taper off in the evening with an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow predicted to fall Monday night.
In preparation, Eversource has crews stationed throughout the region to respond to any reports of power outages.
A parking ban took effect at 5 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. Vehicles parked on public ways must be removed before then. From 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., the ban does not apply to Main Street, from Chapel Street to the Tobey Homestead in the Wareham Village District, and Onset Avenue, from West Central to the town pier.
If you have storm related news tips or photographs to share, email matthew@sippicanweek.com or call 508-902-7024.