Winter Storm Forecast To Wallop Belmont Friday

A big winter storm will settle over Belmont Friday, Feb. 8, and the question facing weather forecasters is exactly how much snow will fall on Belmont and surrounding communities?

The National Weather's latest forecast, released at 11:31 a.m. today, Wednesday, Feb. 6, predicts 14 to 18 inches of snow in Belmont and eastern Massachusetts during the storm.

The NWS has already issued a Winter Storm Watch which runs from late Thursday to early Saturday. A Winter Storm Watch is issued when six inches or more of snow is expected in a 12-hour period, or 8-inches or more will fall in a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service.

The service warns that "travel may become nearly impossible" at times during the storm, according to the Winter Storm Watch alert

Snow could start falling on Thursday night or early Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. During the day Friday, the precipitation will change from snow to rain during the day, and then back to snow, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm is actually two storms coming together, WHDH-Channel 7 meteorologist Jeremy Reiner wrote in his blog. WHDH forecasters predict 8 to 12 inches of snow will fall northwest of Boston.

Follow Belmont Patch for any updates about the storm and any closings caused by it.