The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has issued a high wind warning from 6 p.m. Thursday into the afternoon on Christmas Day.
The forecast is for damaging winds of up to 70 mph that could blow down trees and power lines. NWS is predicting widespread power outages and difficult travel conditions.
The storm will be accompanied by heavy rains that could cause flooding in low-lying areas. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is warning of 2 to 3 inches of rain between Thursday and Friday night.
The city of North Adams issued a Code Alert asking for residents to prepare for power outages by charging phones and other devices, bringing in inflatable and holiday decorations and yard furniture, and limiting travel. City residents should contact police dispatch in case of emergency at 413-664-4944, and limit travel.
Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
National Grid reports its preparing for the powerful storm and that power outages could take days to restore.
"We have canceled employee vacations, secured additional crews, and put emergency plans in place in anticipation of this severe, ill-timed storm," said Michael McCallan, vice president of electric operations for New England in a statement. "We're prepared for the storm and its aftermath. We recognize that no outage is convenient, and we’re particularly conscious of the timing of this storm, when so many of our customers will be celebrating the holidays at home during what continues to be a challenging year."
Nearly 1,700 field-based workers in New England have been secured as part of National Grid’s emergency response operations. This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers.
The company says it has been preparing for the storm for days, and is continuing to monitor the weather, communicating with local officials, first responders, and life support customers.
The heavy rains will be followed by a deep freeze as a massive storm system that has resulted in blizzard conditions over the Midwest moves toward the Atlantic Coast. Temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s in the state of Florida.
"Advancing cold air will continue to catch up with the back edge of a storm and a trailing cold front in the Central, Southern and Eastern states, causing wintry weather and a slew of hazards for motorists," cautions Accuweather.
Tonight into Christmas Morning, near Record Warmth....
Temps climbing to 55 to 60....then falling rapidly in the afternoon.
Here are the expected High temps and Christmas Day Records.
Widespread 2-3 inches of rainfall forecast between tomorrow night and Friday night. STRONG gusty winds will accompany this rainfall as well. NUMEROUS power outages are possible. pic.twitter.com/hpAmRFD9r2
We’re ready for tomorrow’s storm, and encourage you to prepare for severe weather by assembling or restocking a storm kit with essential items. Here’s what you need:
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MCLA Kicks Off Fall Term With New President, Full Dorms
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
President Diana Rogers-Adkinson says she's excited to be at MCLA and impressed by the work done by the college's faculty and staff.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts kicked off the school year last week with fully occupied dorms and its "lucky 13th" president.
Diana Rogers-Adkinson welcomed the gathering of staff, faculty and student representatives in the Venable Hall gymnasium for the traditional convocation breakfast on Tuesday, along with several trustees and Mayor Jennifer Macksey. Theater arts professor Laura Stanley sang the alma mater, starting a new tradition.
"This is a great time of the year. It's a time of new beginnings on many levels for us this year, and I'm really excited," said the college's new leader. "I hope everyone is prepared for an exciting school year ahead. I am constantly impressed by the work that the MCLA staff and faculty do every day. You work tirelessly to provide our students with a fantastic education and a home away from home. I want to thank you on behalf of our board for your dedication, determination, and hard work."
The hard work is paying off as the college's enrollment continues to climb out of the hole it dropped into during the pandemic.
The college has 162 first-year students and 89 transfer students, Richard Glejzer, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said, up from 219 last year.
"We also have an additional student pool that we've kept separate in our count because it's a one-time pool," he explained. "As we are serving as a teach-out partner for two [closed] institutions, Anna Maria College and Hampshire College, we have two students coming from Anna Maria, and we have 20 students coming from Hampshire College. That brings us up to 272 new students, up 24 percent when you add all this together from this from last year and 29 percent from the year before."
He held up his hand to halt the applause to "add one more thing": looking at a "slice" of graduate student numbers, the college is expecting 105 to be enrolled, up from 92 last year.
Northern Berkshire United Way entered the 1990s with big goals — and met almost all of them. It ended the decade with the largest campaign in its history.
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