NWS Issues Storm Update: Up To 12-18 Inches Of Snow Expected

GRAY, ME — Forecasters at the National Weather Service are warning of a massive snowstorm — Winter Storm Quinn — that is heading to the region, according to alerts online. On March 6, 2018, the NWS issued an updated winter storm warning for New Hampshire stating that residents in the southern part of the state could see up to 18 inches of snow between Wednesday and Thursday. The alerts cover all of the Granite State.

"A strong coastal storm will develop south of New England and move into the Gulf of Maine Wednesday evening into Thursday," according to the alert, issued at just before 3 p.m. Snow is expected to spread north across the region during the afternoon and evening Wednesday. There is some potential for the snow to mix with rain at the coast as precipitation begins on Wednesday. Snow will become heavy Wednesday evening and overnight with dangerous travel conditions expected. The storm will weaken and drift west Thursday, but snowfall may linger, especially in the mountains, until Friday. There is high confidence that a large portion of the forecast area will see 10 or more inches of snowfall, with the highest totals near 20 inches."

Below is a potential timeline for the storm in various parts of the state.

The snow is expected to be heavy and the warning stated that travel “will be very difficult to impossible, including during the morning commute on Thursday.” Snow accumulations could be between 12 and 18 inches in most of central and southern New Hampshire communities like Concord, Bedford, Amherst, Milford, and Nashua.

The NWS is also asking for snow accumulation checkers to report totals.

"Be prepared for snow covered and slippery roads, and significant reductions in visibility at time," according to the alert. "Snow may be heavy and wet at times closer to the coast and could lead to scattered power outages due to downed limbs."

The Seacoast communities of Portsmouth, Hampton, and North Hampton are also expected to receive similar snow amounts. On Tuesday morning, the NWS updated its forecast to up to 24 inches of snow in some parts of the state including Exeter, Londonderry, Salem, and Windham, as well as Jaffrey and other communities near the southwest border with Massachusetts but those totals have been downgraded slightly.

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 Wednesday or Thursdays. Alerts are posted when needed.

Image via NWS.