A significant weather event is heading to the region starting Saturday evening. As of 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon, the forecast calls for:
Heavy snow with some sleet and freezing. Total snow accumulations of 8 to 16 inches with the highest of those amounts near the New Hampshire border. Ice accumulations of a trace up to two tenths of an inch. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. Heavy snow develops Saturday evening, changes to a period of freezing rain and sleet in most locations toward daybreak Sunday. A period of plain rain is expected across northeast MA early Sunday morning, but temperatures plunging into the upper teens to lower 20s by lunch time will result in a flash freeze and roads becoming icy. Any mixed precipitation will end as a period of snow Sunday afternoon. Travel will be very difficult and hazardous Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, along with poor visibility.
Please note that the MDPH WebEOC incident for this storm will be “2019 January Incidents”. In addition to ongoing situational awareness, EMS waivers and hospital pharmacy guidance has been posted to the incident.
The State Emergency Operations Center at MEMA will be activating at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, and has scheduled shifts until Monday morning. Additional shifts will be added as necessary. DPH will be staffing the state ESF-8 desk for Health and Medical. If you have any needs or requests, please page the Region 1 HMCC Duty Officer.
In addition, the HMCC will be conducting regional reporting on facility and/or community status by 11 a.m. Sunday morning.
Reporting protocols remain as follows:
- Hospitals will submit reports to Gail Bienvenue, Healthcare systems Coordinator with MA DPH OPEM
- Long-Term Care Facilities will report via the MassMAP reporting system
- Community Health Centers will report to Tina Wright, Emergency Management Program Manager with the MA League of Community Health Centers
- Local Public Health should report any shelter opening or other pertinent activity/public health impacts directly to the HMCC Duty Officer
- All other health and medical facilities should report as needed directly to the HMCC Duty Officer using the Region 1 Facility Report Form.