Cape & Islands Brace for 4th Nor’easter of March

HYANNIS – The Cape and Islands are bracing for the fourth nor’easter to impact the region this month.

Forecasters are expecting rain and snow to begin later today and continue into Thursday.

A winter storm watch, coastal flood watch and high wind watch has all be posted for the area by the National Weather Service.

Much of Cape Cod could see 2-to-4 inches, with higher amounts possible on the Upper Cape and South Shore.

Winds are predicted to blow out of the northeast at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 48 mph, causing concern about power outages.

Peak winds will happen later today and the evening.

There could also be minor to moderate coastal flooding during the late Wednesday and early Thursday high tide

Eversource said their line and tree crews are once again ready to respond as another nor’easter moves into the region, bringing snow and high winds.

With wind gusts of up to 50 mph, this storm has the potential to bring trees and tree limbs down onto power lines, causing damage to the energy system.

“We’re closely monitoring the weather forecast. The expected snow and high winds can further damage trees and limbs already weakened from previous storms, leaving them susceptible to coming down and damaging our equipment,” said Eversource Vice President of Electric Field Operations Doug Foley.

“We have hundreds of employees and contractors ready to respond and will have crews prepositioned before the storm hits so we’re there when customers need us to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.”

Most of the precipitation should come to end early Thursday.

Many Cape Cod school districts announced early dismissals for Thursday.

The Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee planned to activate its Multi Agency Coordination Center at 6 p.m. Wednesday. There were no immediate plans to open any shelters.

High winds will likely impact ferry service to and from the islands.

The Steamship Authority and Hyline have both cancelled a number of runs Wednesday and are operating on a boat-by-boat basis.

The Steamship Authority has told travelers to expect service interruption Wednesday and possibly Thursday.

The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority said they hope to maintain as normal a schedule as possible during the storm.

Plymouth and Brockton is operating on a weekend schedule on Wednesday.

“We are hoping that travelers will look at where they plan to go and check the forecast for that particular area as driving could be hazardous at various times,” said Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver.

“There will be heavy snowfall in some areas and the timing of the storm will differ from region to region. We encourage members of the public to monitor the weather, plan ahead if they will be traveling and plan extra time to reach destinations whether they are in a vehicle or using mass transit,” he said.

MassDOT’s snow and ice operations will be deployed throughout the storm as conditions necessitate. Crews were conducting preparation activities Tuesday in advance of the winter weather and will be pretreating roadways with brine and Magnesium Chloride.

MassDOT is also currently planning deployments of snowplows and spreaders and maintenance equipment.

 The Coast Guard warned mariners and the public Tuesday to exercise caution along the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts Wednesday into Thursday.

Conditions are expected to deteriorate Wednesday night, with hazardous wind and sea conditions throughout Southern New England waters.

Operation for any craft in the maritime environment will be dangerous, as there is high marine impact expected with 50 knot wind gusts and 20+ foot seas Wednesday into Thursday.

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod air crews are flying storm tracks ahead of the storm to warn mariners of the impending heavy weather.

Coast Guard Cutter Spencer, a 270-foot cutter homeported in Boston, will stage off the coast to respond to offshore search and rescue emergencies.

 

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