When I was a mere sprout, my grandfather, a then retired Coast Guard Chief and Chatham Harbormaster, once told me that whenever seagulls were seen inland, it meant that a storm was moving in off the water or that the dump was closed. Close to a decade ago, a pair of swans began to routinely take up residence in Town Cove prior to a notable storm. Through general observation in the day-to-day routine of my craft, one inch of snow may be assumed per truck with a plow blade parked in a liquor store lot 2-4 hours ahead of a projected snowfall.

The birds have checked in and the plow count is calling for 8” despite our Winter Warning having been upgraded to a Blizzard Warning which is in effect and scheduled to expire at 3 a.m. Sunday. The plow shortfall is also in conflict with the now projected 15” – 20” of anticipated accumulation. As mentioned yesterday, the winds projections are significantly less than what we’ve seen in recent weeks making the balance of the forecast more of a nuisance or wonderland depending on how you look at your cup.

I’ve received several inquiries regarding plow service and as always, never feel compelled to plow on my account. Should access be required for fuel delivery or sub contract access it will be dealt with case-by-case and in the event of any unanticipated/immediate need, I will most certainly coordinate the necessary resources.

Big electric has done a remarkable job in recent years in regards to a proactive approach to pruning. In addition, the response to outages has been most improved in terms of response and timely resolution. In spite of the snow projections, the forecast and projected winds don’t necessarily point to widespread outages. That said, anyone that has received notice of an outage or low temperature alert is encouraged to email that information to me as soon as it is available.

Current conditions consist of a fine snowfall pushed around by winds in the middle teens.

Stay tuned.