A winter weather advisory for accumulating snow has been issued for parts of Massachusetts, namely Berkshire County and western Franklin and Hampshire counties, which will last until 1 p.m. local time Thursday, wwlp.com reports.
All of western Massachusetts is expected to see less snow accumulation. Travelers in the area were advised to be aware of slippery areas, especially if driving in mountain towns. Snowstorms could also occur early in the morning, specifically before 7 a.m., leading to heavy accumulations.
In addition to Massachusetts, a blizzard warning was issued earlier in the day for Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, which includes communities such as Dunmore, Hazleton, Bushkill, Nanticoke, Old Forge, Scranton, Kinston, as well as Pittston.
A snowstorm was also witnessed across the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia metropolitan area) on Thursday morning, around 4:30 am. According to officials cited by dcnewsnow.com, the snowstorm was moving at 35 miles per hour, which also allowed for strong winds.
Boston, Cambridge, Providence, Worcester and much of New England were also under a blizzard warning until 8:30 a.m., NBC10 Boston reports.
What is a snowstorm?
A snowstorm, similar to a blizzard or snowstorm, is a moderate to heavy snowfall that occurs in a more localized area for a shorter period of time, usually around 30-40 minutes. A snowstorm can cover the road with a blanket of ice within minutes, even though a major storm is not expected.
There are two types of blizzard – lake effect and frontal.
A snowstorm is very dangerous for travel, especially for planes and motorists, and can be more damaging than a blizzard because conditions change suddenly.
Sudden loss of visibility, which is caused by fading, as well as slippery conditions can lead to a multi-vehicle crash. A lake-effect blizzard can result in large amounts of snow accumulating, paralyzing roads and cities.
One of the most notable snowstorm-related vehicle pile-up incidents occurred on January 9, 2015, where I-94 near Galesburg, Michigan witnessed a 193-vehicle pile-up.
