More Sleet, Snow on the Way

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It's starting to feel like the cold and snow will never leave. Get ready for another blast of snow Thursday and again on the weekend across the Berkshire region. 
 
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has issued a winter weather advisory for Western Mass, Southern Vermont and eastern New York beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday through 6 p.m. 
 
It will start out with snow but later turn to a sleety mix of rain and ice in the afternoon. Be prepared for slippery roads. 
 
There's a chance for up to 2 to 4 inches of snow but ice seems more likely. Our friends at Greylock Snow Day are only giving a 10 percent chance of a snow day largely because the storm will hit the Berkshires after everyone's in school, and end by afternoon. 
 
"Your only real chance for a snow day tomorrow is if your superintendent is in a very generous mood," GSD writes.
 
Temperatures will continue to hover around freezing — dipping into the single digits again on Wednesday night.
 
It may warm up slightly this weekend, enough for another round of snow and sleet on Sunday. Last year, according to Accuweather, the temperatures were in the 50s. The temperatures have hit 32 degrees or higher about a dozen times in the past 36 days, with a high of 41 on Monday. The year ended with highs in the 40s and 50s in the days leading up to New Year's Eve and on New Year's Day.
 

More snow is coming to New England on Thursday. Here are the forecast maps.

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— The Boston Globe (@bostonglobe.com) February 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM

NEW WEATHER ADVISORY: Winter Weather Advisory * WHAT...Freezing rain expected. Total ice accumulations around two tenths of an inch. * WHERE...Portions of central and west central Ohio. * WHEN...Until 5 AM EST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Difficult travel... See more: watchedsky.social/app/alerts/...

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— National Weather Service Alerts (@skeetbot.watchedsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 4:14 PM
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North Adams Airport Sets Deadline For Cell Tower Project

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission set a November deadline for Diamond Communications last week, accepting a contract extension on installing a cell tower through Nov. 25.

After that date, the commission wants some form of compensation.

This initial extension was built into the original contract, and commissioners had no objection to honoring it. However, Diamond's second request for a nine-month extension gave the board pause.

The airport accepted a bid from Diamond in 2024 to install a cellular tower on the airport campus. Diamond offered a $30,000-a-year lease with a scheduled 2.5 percent annual increase. Terms also included a $100,000 bonus and a percentage of the tower's gross revenue if it becomes fully leased out.

Shirin Everett of KP Law, who helped negotiate the original agreement for the airport, called into the meeting. She confirmed the project is on hold because Verizon, which plans to utilize the tower, has yet to commit money toward it. Everett said understands Verizon has potentially budgeted for the project in 2027.

This means that at the very earliest, Verizon might make a decision in mid-2027. Following a standard due diligence period, the airport likely would not begin receiving rent payments until 2028. Everett added that telecommunications projects are experiencing delays nationwide.

The situation did not sit well with Airport Commissioner William Hooper.

"Verizon is not ready to pull the trigger for Diamond, so they are at risk of not having their primary subtenant ready to go," Hooper said. "So my concern is, does Diamond have a real commitment to be able to do this?"

He added that Diamond currently has no financial commitment to the city, making him hesitant to hold potentially valuable land for them without receiving anything in return.

"I would hate to be reserving the rights of Diamond for a square inch of the airport if we don't have real commitment from them," Hooper said. "As I read the agreement, I don't like where I feel we are at the moment."

Everett stated that come Nov. 25, the city could grant another extension — this time accompanied by a request for compensation. She emphasized that Diamond is not entitled to anything beyond Nov. 25, though she noted that in prior conversations, Diamond was not open to providing substantial compensation.

If Diamond and the city simply allow the contract to expire, Diamond remains responsible for paying the city's legal fees, according to Everett. Furthermore, if Diamond eventually completes the process with the city, they must pay an automatic $100,000 to the airport.

Everett added that if the city decides to reopen the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, they would likely still be waiting until at least 2028.

"These leases, for whatever reason, are taking months and months ... it is really between a rock and a hard place," she said. "You can stay with the devil you know and hope it comes through, or we can choose someone else."

In related news regarding land use at the airport, the commission expressed interest in exploring the possibility of installing solar panels.

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