Parts of Bay State to receive a foot of snow

BOSTON -- The Nor'easter heading toward the Bay State appears to be picking up steam, which could lead to even larger snow accumulations on Wednesday.

“The flakes start flying around lunchtime Wednesday. The heavier snow develops by mid-afternoon and stays heavy through the evening commute. It won't really chill out until around 9pm or so,” wrote meteorologist Dylan Dreyer in the 7Weather Blog.

As a result, a Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Wednesday morning through late Wednesday night for the following counties in Massachusetts: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Worcester and Suffolk (including the city of Boston).

In New Hampshire, Cheshire, Hampden and Hillsborough counties are also under a Winter Storm Watch.

During the storm, snow is expected to fall at a rate of at least 1-2 inches per hour.

Greater Boston will likely get around 10 inches of snow, while areas north of the city are expected to receive about 6-9 inches. The South Shore could see an ocean enhancement to the snow, which could lead to totals over 12 inches.

The Providence area could receive as much as 15 inches of snow.

Approximately 1-3 inches of snow will coat Northern Massachusetts and New Hampshire by Wednesday evening.

Dreyer also commented that the storm would bring strong wind gusts to the area.

“Winds will be steady out of the northeast up to 20-30 mph. Winds could gust as high as 50-55 mph. When winds are that strong, whiteout conditions are possible. Gusts are sudden, so if you're driving at the height of the storm, know that you could lose your visibility in an instant,” wrote Dreyer.

By Thursday, the snow will move out to sea and sunshine will return with high temperatures in the low 30s.

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