The Berkshires are in for a double whammy this week — a Nor'easter is expected to bring up to a foot of snow and ice overnight followed by another Arctic blast that will keep temperatures in the freezer zone.
A winter storm warning is now in effect beginning Sunday at 10 p.m. and through Monday at the same time. The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., is forecasting 5 to 11 inches of snow and ice accumulations of up to a 10th of an inch. Winds could gust to 40 mph.
Adams, Clarksburg, North Adams (starting at 10 p.m.) and Pittsfield have so far declared snow emergencies and other communities may before the afternoon is over. Snow emergencies mean motor vehicles cannot be parked on the roadways during the storm to allow for plowing; in some communities public parking lots will be made available. Residents in North Adamsneeding assistance during the storm should contact Public Safety dispatch at 413-664-4945
The storm warning covers the Berkshires, eastern New York and northern Connecticut.
Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are possible between midnight and 7 a.m. The snow will later turn to a wintry mix of precipitation that could cut down the total accumulation of snow and create more hazardous conditions. The amount of snow will vary greatly depending on terrain.
Accuweather reported that lineman from Oregon were flying into Boston in preparation for the storm. The eastern part of the state is predicted to have damaging high winds and potential flooding. Eversource on Friday said it was prepositioning crews for both Sunday night's storm.
“We’ve been carefully monitoring these weather systems for the last few days and we’ll have workers and materials in position across the state ready to respond and will adjust our plans if the forecast changes,” said Eversource Vice President of Electric Field Operations in Massachusetts Bill Ritchie. “We’re fully stocked with extra utility poles, wire, transformers and other equipment and ready to repair any damage this storm may cause.”
National Grid tweeted on Sunday that it was "closely monitoring a storm expected to bring snow, rain & wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour in MA & RI."
Monday is celebrated as Martin Luther King Jr. Day so schools and public offices will be closed.
Colder air will begin moving into the region Tuesday but Accuweather says the real blast will happen at the end of the week. The Midwest will get hit with lows in the minus-20s and the polar vortex will move into New England by Friday.
"These frigid conditions will spread eastward through the second half of the week with places like Boston, New York City and Philadelphia seeing the coldest day on Friday," AccuWeather Senior meteorologist Adam Douty said.
The jet stream will dip far south, leaving the Northeast in a deep chill through the end of January.
A blast of winter weather will impact big cities along the I-95, but hazards will shift over to heavy rain and strong winds as the storm progresses. https://t.co/anHyhseagrpic.twitter.com/AlQf5INkLV
— Breaking Weather by AccuWeather (@breakingweather) January 16, 2022
Our winter storm continues to crank into the northeast tonight-tue AM. Big snowfall for the interior northeast, cold rain for the I-95 corridor, and BIG wind for everyone.
As cold as it is now it still looks like a change to ice and even rain after an initial burst of snow. Snow starts a little before midnight then starts changing overnight. The further west and higher elevation the more snow. pic.twitter.com/51kK45l6j8
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North Adams Council Gives Initial OK to Zoning Change
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council wrapped up business in about 30 minutes on Tuesday, moving several ordinance changes forward.
A zoning change that would add a residential property to the commercial zone on State Road was adopted to a second reading but met with some pushback. The Planning Board recommended the change.
The vote was 5-2, with two other councilors abstaining, indicating there may be difficulty reaching a supermajority vote of six for final passage.
Centerville Sticks LLC (Tourists resort) had requested the extension of the Business 2 zone to cover 935 State Road. Centerville had purchased the large single-family home adjacent the resort in 2022.
Ben Svenson, principal of Centerville, had told a joint meeting of the Planning Board and City Council earlier this month that it was a matter of space and safety.
The resort had been growing and an office building across Route 2 was filled up.
"We've had this wonderful opportunity to grow our development company. That's meant we have more office jobs and we filled that building up," he said. "This is really about safety. Getting people across Route 2 is somewhat perilous."
This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
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More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
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"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more
