A Blizzard Warning is in effect from 4 p.m. this afternoon through 5 a.m. Saturday morning.
Aside from sounding far more menacing than a mere Winter Storm, there is a distinct difference between the Blizzard and garden variety Storm. A Blizzard Warning is issued when sustained winds of, or frequent gusts in excess of, 35 mph are expected in conjunction with considerable snow fall and/or blowing or drifting snow. In other words, the forecast is calling for strong winds, yet not as great as yesterday, in or around the time a heavy band of snow is expected to move through. Add to that an ominous gladiator era name like Quintus and you’ll be paying $ 20.00 for a loaf of bread on eBay.
According to recent radar models, the storm moving up the coast shows the mixing line splitting Cape Cod Bay in a north east track. With temperatures in the mid to upper 30’s heading into early evening, we’re looking at a steady diet of light to moderate rain and perhaps a mix until around midnight where lower temperatures and the assumed track of the system join up to give us a few hours of notable snowfall around midnight and into Sunday morning.
As an unnamed footnote, a coastal flood advisory has been issued and in effect from 9 p.m. this evening through 4 a.m. tomorrow as area high tides will occur around 11 p.m. tonight.
As in every case where we have a definitive snow/rain line, the ocean effect has the final word. Stay tuned.
As a lifelong resident of the outer Cape I was the third generation to pick up the mantel in the family construction business. In my early twenties, I called the Cape my home on weekends as I spent several years working for a variety of off-Cape commercial construction companies. My site supervision resume includes two supermarkets, two HUD projects, a funeral home and a handful of steel industrial buildings as well as various restaurant and office remodels.