FINAL NOTE - It seems evident that the final rainfall amounts (you know, the stuff that fell ontop of the inches of snow, ice, and slush) are higher than was initially forecast. This is rather remarkable, as an inch of rain itself was a strong amount of excess moisture outside. But, 2"+ is reported to be widespread (some cases even close to 4" of rain ontop of everything else). If this storm event were to have been 'all snow' ... We'd have shattered every local record for snowfall out there with 3 to 4 FEET of snow in less than 24-hours(!) This was a powerful system that came through here, and with all the sluch and ice blocking the drainage systems from functioning, there is a lot of standing water all over the roadways, loitering on flat rooftops, and perhaps in your basement if you live near a stream. The water may still yet rise more overnight as water levels increase when run-off is no longer inhibited. Flood Warnings are still in effect through this evening for small streams and urban areas.

Another aspect to watch is the return of colder air behind the front passage that marks the end of this storm. Rain is changing to snow to our west, and flakes may well end things here too. With that, there is a distinct probability of a few snow squalls in the Berkshires this evening, and some of that may be felt in the Valley too. But what may not be readily understood, is that temperatures will plummet back below freezing tonight, and all that standing water (mixed with slush) will be permitted to re-freeze. Not only is 'black ice' a problem to consider tonight...but also think about all the places we've attempted to clear during the course of the day-- and figure them iced over tomorrow morning unless treated.

Keep in mind that with all prolonged storm events here at CBS 3 Springfield, you can continuously monitor the weather as it develops by using the various products available in our Forecast Center and our Current Conditions Page. Also, you can catch all the local weather information you need streamed 24 hours a day by hooking up to our Weather Now webstream. We also love hearing from you! If you have weather-related information to pass along from your location, simply email it to us! it's very helpful. We enjoy receiving pictures of weather and Western Mass scenery (videos too!), so if you shoot it, Send It!

9:30 AM - Temperatures are now above freezing in most of the major urban centers, with only a few holdouts left to go. It won't be long now until all of the area settles in for a bout of steady-to-heavy rain for the balance of the day. Until the icing melts in some areas, it will be a major conduit to street flooding and ponding on the roadways (as the rainwater won't be permitted to absorb anywhere). As the day wears on, melting snow and ice, combined with the rain will fill up those rivers, so the Flood Watch for the region holds firm. Expect the situation to remain pretty constant until the afternoon hours, where things will finally let up a bit.

8:30 AM - Rain is overspreading more of the area now...so in a way it's the 'beginning of the end' to all the iciness. Until it changes over in some of those 'hinterland' areas normally favored for this sort of thing, expect it to remain on the ugly side up there. Meanwhile, as folks wake up...they're sending in snowfall measurements. Here are some recent totals:

Agawam ... 6.0"
Holyoke ... 6.0"
Westfield ... 6.0"
Springfield ... 5.0"
Southwick ... 4.2"
Monson ... 4.0"

If you have a storm report, or something to tell us about the weather in your town, Send it in! Also, pictures are welcome too! Send them here! We may even put them on air, or online in our Weather Gallery.

7:30 AM - Rain is starting to move in...First sneaking up the Hudson River valley to our west, but also up the east bank of the Connecticut River toward the Longmeadows. This would be a welcome sight to help clear off the windshield, but don't expect all the roads to be perfect just yet. Still a lot of snow on the ground in many areas, and they will begin to slush up a bit with the added moisture. You can track the change-over line between sleet/ice and rain by watching the Current Radar, and comparing it to the Current Temperatures. If you want to see what is going on around the area, check out the hourly Weather Round-up.

Some recent snow totals coming in:

Fitchburg ... 7.8"
Burlington, CT ... 3.0"

6:30 AM - A large plume of moisture continues to load up to our south, and with those temperatures moving upward (but only slowly) we're still going to be looking at a time of steady freezing rain before finally slipping over into rain. Until that happens, it is NOT a good time to be out on the roadways. Lots of reports have been coming into the station (Thank You), and many secondary roads are untreated, and unplowed. It's not easy to remove several inches of snow with ice ontop of it, so you'll have to give yourself extra time to get to where you're going. Also, check ahead before venturing out. Our ' Storm Closings ' page is updated constantly as new information comes into us, and if you can't get enough continuous weather coverage, there's always our 24/7 Weather Now online webstream. Some recent totals just into CBS 3 Springfield:

Brattleboro, VT ... 6.0"
Clarksburg ... 5.5"
Bradley Airport ... 2.7"
Monson ... 3.0" (as of last night)
Holyoke ... 2.0" (as of last night)

5 AM - As people start thinking about heading off to school and work, make sure you give yourself plenty of extra time to get to where you need to be. And certainly checking ahead is a good idea. You can view the most recent Storm Closings right on CBS 3 Springfield, and of course, here on this website. The Current Radar shows a steady freezing rain coming down in many locations, with Current Temperatures in the 20s. We'll be looking for a changeover to rain during the morning hours, and judging from the Current 'Hourly Round-up', the rain/snow line is creeping up toward Meriden, CT...perhaps on a line along I-95...heading northward slowly.

You can watch the current weather/road conditions by viewing the various weather webcams around the area. It's pretty important to leave early and/or call ahead due to this icy weather. The ice is not expected to have long-term effects because once we change to rain, melting of the ice will begin.

We're also looking for You! Send in a quick picture off your cell phone! Or text us a quick weather report! It's important to get a good picture of the weather all across the area, not just 24-hour operating urban areas.

4 AM - It's definitely a little nutty out there. Precipitation is picking back up again, and just about everyone (even up to the Vermont border) is receiving a heavy sleet, or even ice. This is NOT a good time to be out on the roadways. You could encounter a situation on the roadways in which your windshield freezes up in front of you while driving (make sure your car is topped off on appropriate fluids, and that you give it plenty of time to warm up before venturing out). Here's some recent snowfall totals:

Alford ... 4.5"
Savoy ... 4.5"
Northampton ... 4.0"
Westhampton ... 4.0"
Hampden ... 3.0"

2 AM - The Current Radar is showing a little slow-down of moisture locally, but also appears to indicate a growing bulge of energy still yet below us. The dry wedge off to our west is still pronounced, but hasn't made any head-way into the area. We should anticipate a re-firing of precipitation around the area, but more than likely in the sleet/ice variety which should attempt to hold on until the morning commute. Checking the Current Surface Pressure...There's two centers of low pressure, one moving across New Jersey, and the other into New York. The most recent Three-Hour Pressure Change map indicates both are still progressing to the NE. Current Wind Streamlines still show a slow flow of wind out of the Northeast, which lets us know that we are still solidly in the cold pool of air, regardless how warm the air a few thousand feet above us becomes. Sometimes, a good way to monitor the 'change-over line' is by looking at what are called 'Wet-Bulb Temperatures'. They represent the coldest air can cool to when evaporating. Often times, when this bottoms out at the freezing line, and not below, it's a good bet you're not going to be seeing snow fall from the sky, no matter what 'actual' temperature it is. On this map at 2 am...The '32-degree line' was just entering the South Shore of Connecticut.

Again...as morning approaches, get the latest on Storm Closings through our website...Tune into CBS 3 Springfield itself for the latest live looks at the weather. And of course, send in weather reports and pictures of your own whenever you like.

1 AM - In the latest 'Hourly Roundup', seen on the 'Current Conditions' page (it gives you a good look at conditions city-by-city across the area...The snow/sleet/ice line is now creeping northward, and outside one can start to hear the pitter patter of little ice pellets at times. As indicated in the Roundup, Meriden, New Haven, and Groton (all CT) are receiving freezing rain. Sleet is now appearing at Bradley Airport, as well as outside of Hartford. Temperatures throughout that area are in the middle 20s, so if the changing continues, we may see some definitie icing on the roadways for a while (down there as well as up here). However, as I've said, once the changeover to rain occurs, this will actually ease any sort of ice accretion on surfaces.

Midnight - Warmer air is already starting to arrive in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, with the Current Radar showing a steady plume of moisture still streaming in to Western Mass. It's interesting to not the certain void of moisture along the spine of the Appalachians in New York and Pennsylvania. It is common for this to occur in a double-barrel system in which each area of low pressure is located on opposite sides of the mountains. It is not easy for the moisture to hook-up between the two, so they end up with separate surface moisture signatures, despite the fact that they interact in the mid and upper parts of the troposphere. Pretty soon the 'stuff you can hear' (referring to sleet/ice) will be falling out of the sky from south-to-north. This is not a bad thing for the forecast, as the quickly accumulating snows have already posted forecast verifying snowfall amounts:

Greenfield ... 3.0"
Colrain ... 2.0"
Northfield ... 2.0"
Springfield ... 2.0"
Ware ... 1.5"

No-doubt some places have even more than this...but as the change-over occurs, it will pack down what has already fallen, and eventually sog and sluch it out a bit...meaning you may 'measure' more snow on the ground now, than you would have you wait until 8am.

9 PM (12th) - A quick snow indeed, some snowfall totals have been coming in...

Burlington, CT .. 2.0"
Williamsburg ... 2.0"

You can watch the snow fall in various areas across Southern New England, by checking out the various weather webcams we have found available. They are located part-way down in our 'Current Conditions' page.

7 PM (12th) - Snow is spreading across the area at present...Checking the 'Current Radar', it's apparent that the flakes are pushing across the Mass Pike and I-91. It's expected that once the snow begins, it can start to accumulate rather quickly, to put down a quick inch or two in the evening hours. It's going to be slow traveling for a while. 'Current Temperatures' on our 'Current Conditions' page indicate all areas are well below freezing, which makes for snow now...but ice later on.

Keep in mind that you too can send us Weather Reports via email any time you like, as well as any weather pictures you take. We appreciate both, as it helps communicate better weather for the whole area, even places that are difficult to get to. Also, we have our 24/7 Weather Now online stream constantly updating maps and conditions across the area. If you're interested in Storm Closings for tomorrow, it's right at the front of our website, just by going here.

First Word - This storm is set up to be similar to one that came through a couple of months ago, with a 'double-barrel' approach...with an associated/anticipated mid-level warming and change-over to rain during the AM hours of the 13th...But what makes it unique this go-around is that when the change-over to rain is apparent, the moisture will remain intense, perhaps giving some areas more than 6" of snow, and more than 1" of rain ontop of that. Winter Storm Watches are up, as well as Flood Watches. This will be the type of system where measuring the snow is sort of a fleeting event if undertaken on Wednesday (because of all the rain slushing things out), and also one to watch the rivers themselves, as melting soggy snow combines with a steady rain to fill them up.