Snowstorms Shift, Merge; NH Could Get Up to 18 Inches: Alerts

GRAY, ME — What was first thought to be a small snowstorm that would hit the lower part of the state of New Hampshire with anywhere from a dusting to 4 inches of snow has been upgraded to a major nor’easter as storms from the north and the south merge, bringing as much as 18 inches of snow to some parts of the state, according to the National Weather Service. About 90 minutes ago, the NWS issued a winter storm warning for most of the state warning of “bursts of moderate to heavy snowfall” through the evening.

Yesterday, forecasters were sticking with their “dusting to 3 to 4 inches,” predictions for Concord and the southern part of the state. The NWS upgraded its “mostly likely snowfall” estimates about an hour ago, calling for 8 to 12 inches in Concord and most of inland Rockingham County, with 6 to 8 inches of snow for most of Hillsborough County and coastal Rockingham County. North of Concord, anywhere from 12 to 18 inches is expected.

“A strong system will exit the East Coast this afternoon and gradually increase lift through the day,” according to the alert. “Precipitation will fill in across the rest of the forecast area by afternoon. Close to the coast and across parts of southeast New Hampshire...temperatures have warmed above freezing in deep onshore flow.”

Precipitation is expected to start as a mix of rain and snow and then, become snow in the inland areas.

“Moderate to heavy snow accumulations are possible,” according to the NWS.

AccuWeather.com is also warning of strong, damaging winds, drifting snow, whiteout conditions, and major travel disruptions, as the two storms merge into one, although forecasters are calling for slightly lower snow accumulations. Expect winds of up to 15 mph and gusts in the 35 mph range.

The NWS alerts will run from noon today until 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States including the 12 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites. Local, four-day weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays; alerts are posted when needed.

Graphics courtesy of AccuWeather.com.