THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 Page 5 WINTER STORM WARNING: We’re not out of it yet! Quick-developing winter storm could dump 8-12 inches of snow into today Record-high temps Wednesday... Snow today continues Winter of 2021-2022’s ‘Yo-Yo Adventure’ this week Last three offi cial weeks of winter historically known to be wildly unpredictable (and stormy) Just this week, a record-high By Steve Freker A nother major Nor’easter was forecast to hit the Greater Boston area and the entire northern and southern New England area beginning early this morning, threatening to dump up to a foot of snow. Though today’s expected storm was not forecast to be accompanied by the usual strong winds associated with similar winter weather events, a nasty mix of sleet and freezing rain should be coming by early afternoon to cause a messy and potentially hazardous evening commute. temperature of 69 degrees rolled in Wednesday, as shorts and t-shirts were in abundance as a mix of sun and clouds were accompanied by the late spring-like high. All that changed Thursday, as early morning commuters saw temperatures in the high teens, a drop of about 50 degrees in less than 12 hours. Coupled with today’s anticipated snowstorm, this represents still another “peaks and valleys” effect, weather-wise. “Only in New England” continues to be the battle cry of local residents and city offi cials, who — 2021 (21.8 inches), 2020 (21.6 inches), 2019 (38.7 inches)— and close to being more than four of the next fi ve years before that. The Blizzard of 2022, on January 29-30, was about half of that total for this year, a 23.8inch deluge of snow. After today’s snowfall, forecast to be between 8-12 inches in greater Boston, this year’s total would be 56-60 inches. That would be higher than 2018 (51.0 inches), 2017 (50.9 inches), 2016 (41.2 inches) and 2014 (50.2 inches). The only mark of the past 10-12 years of snowfall totals that seems out of reach for this year’s total, which could easily be 70-90 inches, would appear to be 2015, when 108.6 inches of snow fell during a whopping 21 days of snowfall events. At this point, however, “Never Ole’ Man Winter will be around for a few more weeks on the calendar, with Spring offi cially beginning March 20, but with New England weather, he will depart when he is good and ready— and not before! With schools already closed in Everett, Malden, Revere and Saugus due to the February Winter Break week, that aspect of the respective cities’ operations will not be aff ected. In Malden, municipal offi ces in City Hall are already closed on Fridays due to their regular Monday-Thursday schedules. Residents of Everett (cityofeverett.com), Revere (revere. org) and Saugus (saugus-man. gov) should check the city websites for information of possible schedule changes and weather/snow-related decisions. The city of Malden’s municipal website address is cityofmalden.org. If any of The Advocate readership communities determine if a Snow Emergency (and related parking restrictions) are to go into eff ect, such information would be available on the respective websites. The “Winter of 2021-2022” continues to be a real-time “YoYo Adventure” in this region — even this week— with dramatic changes in temperatures and weather conditions. are forced to rapidly shift gears to combat weather shifts. Malden Department of Public Works (DPW) Chief Bob Knox, a veteran of over two decades of New England winters has seen plenty of the unpredictability that winter brings to this region, particularly in the later stages of the offi cial winter season. Knox said that state-of-theart forecasts from various sources are highly accurate; there is always the possibility of an unexpected, unforeseen shift in a weather pattern. As weather mavens in this area can attest, that is why most of the media-driven weather forecasts often “hedge their bets” by off ering explanations of different “models” of what could potentially happen, if certain variables came to light. Already this year, the greater Boston area’s snowfall been more than double the previous two year’s full season snowfalls. So far, 48.1 inches of snow has fallen this winter, surpassing the very light winter snowfall totals of the past three years say never” has to be the mantra, as another blizzard day of 20-plus inches of snow could jack up the totals and as we all well know, we are far from out of the woods, even when March arrives. It is a rare year when no snow falls in March at all around greater Boston. Spring season officially begins on Sunday, March 20— three weeks away this weekend— but that calendar date means nothing to the dynamic duo of neither Mother Nature or ‘Ole’ Man Winter. They will each change seasons when they are good and ready, calendar or no calendar, and not before. Happy shoveling and plowing this weekend, everyone. A Winter Storm Warning is in eff ect for the entire Northern and Southern New England regions, beginning last night and into today, with a forecast of between 8-12 inches of snow, continuing through midday. It could change to sleet and freezing rain in the afternoon, making for a messy evening commute.
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