Dual storms could drop up to a foot of snow in Boston area
A big helping of winter wetness is headed this way, as Greater Boston prepares for another round of back-to-back storms that could drop up to a foot of snow on the area, weather watchers said yesterday.
The first storm system was expected to hit last night between 10 p.m. and midnight and carry up to 4 inches of snow for the city and along the coast, said Walter Drag, spokesman for the National Weather Service in Taunton. The accumulation, weather service spokesman Charles Foley said, is almost certain to surpass the 1.1 inches needed to break the record for the snowiest December in Boston history, set in 1970 when 27.9 inches of snow fell.
As the city braced for the storm, the mayor's office announced on its website - cityofboston.gov - that a snow emergency would be declared and a parking ban would take effect at midnight.
Statewide, roads were pretreated with liquid calcium to help snow dissolve, said Adam Hurtubise, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Highway Department. Hurtubise said he planned to disperse 4,000 pieces of equipment once the snow began, to areas most affected by the storm.
Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said the storm was not considered severe enough to activate the agency's operation center last evening, but officials were monitoring the situation closely and would open the center if necessary. The New Year's holiday, he said, will be an advantage when it comes to navigating roads this morning, he said.
"It will have an impact on the morning commute, but you know a lot of people are taking the long weekend, and with school still being out, traffic will not be as heavy," Judge said. "It'll basically be a glorified weekend."
The snowfall should be finished by 9 a.m. today, giving crews plenty of time to clear Boston Common before First Night festivities begin at 1 p.m., said Joyce Linehan, First Night spokeswoman.
Revelers can expect a crisp, clear night with temperatures in the upper 20s, Foley said.
New Year's Day, however, holds the promise of more snow as another storm system carrying up to 6 inches of snow is expected to move toward the Boston area tomorrow night, Foley said. The storm is expected to continue well into Wednesday.
Hurtubise said his crews will work to make sure roads are safe throughout the week. He added that he was not concerned about the amount of time between the two storms.
"We're going to get rid of the ice and snow as it comes down - the roads should be black," said Hurtubise, who encouraged travelers to use public transportation to keep the roads clear for plows.
Temperatures are expected to drop into the low 20s and teens on Wednesday and Thursday, so Judge encouraged residents to do as much immediate shoveling as possible before it freezes, especially around fire hydrants.
Having dealt with extremely low snow totals for all of last winter - when 17 inches fell - Judge said Boston residents need to reacquaint themselves with Old Man Winter.
"We have to start looking at snow coming down as part of New England."
Globe correspondent Michael Naughton contributed to this report. Sarah E. Metcalf can be reached at smetcalf@globe.com. 