NH Snowstorm Update: Track Will Determine 'Bomb Cyclone Blitz'

GRAY, ME — When it comes to forecasting the weather, anything is possible.

One guarantee for New Hampshire this weekend is that there will be snow. The exact amount of snow is what it is in question.

The National Weather Service issued a “hazardous weather outlook” for New Hampshire on Thursday warning of snow this weekend.

“Low pressure is forecast to track from the Carolina coast northeast to near New England Saturday,” the alert stated. “There is still uncertainty in the track and strength of the system, but this system has the potential to bring significant snow and gusty winds.”

In Concord and the capital region, the daily forecast on Thursday said snow accumulation of around 3 to 5 inches was possible. For Nashua and Hillsborough County, forecasters were calling for around 4 to 8 inches. For Hampton, Portsmouth, and the Seacoast, residents could see 6 to 10 inches.

A map published around 10 a.m. though showed slightly higher snow accumulation predictions for central and southern New Hampshire than the text in the daily forecasts — 6 to 8 for Concord and 8 to 12 for Nashua and the Seacoast communities.

In a post on Facebook, NWS forecasters called the models “uncertain” — and the tracking could move the worst of it out to sea. Either way, forecasters said, residents should prepare.

AccuWeather.com, however, said the “still-developing” storm was “set to become a major nor’easter that will bombard New England with heavy snow and blizzard conditions.”

Snowfall is expected to be between 1 to 3 inches per hour with the storm’s intensity likely to be around 8 to 12 hours, according to forecasters. Snowdrifts could be “several feet” in open areas.

“Motorists who venture out could risk becoming stranded,” the report stated.

Wind gusts of between 50 and 70 mph are expected on the Seacoast while inland, they will be around 30 to 50 mph.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States including the 12 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites (Amherst, Bedford, Concord, Exeter, Hampton, Londonderry, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Salem, and Windham). Local weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays. Alerts are published when needed.

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