Though Forecast Is Tricky, Northeast Could Face Record-Breaking Snow Storm

By Eyder Peralta

Published February 6, 2013 at 3:10 PM CST

The NAM model shows one of the more severe resolutions, with up to 50 inches of snow in some parts of New England.

Areas from New York to Maine could be in store for a record-breaking nor'Easter, this weekend.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the forecast is tricky, but "the coming storm looks to be as close to a meteorologist's worst nightmare as can be imagined."

The paper continues:

"The result is shaping up to be an extremely tricky storm outlook, especially more than 48 hours in advance — an eternity in weather forecasting. But as the National Weather Service in New York City warns: 'There is the potential for this to be the strongest winter storm of the season.'

"The tough forecast hinges on the interactions between a small system currently near Chicago and another that hasn't even formed yet off the Carolina coast. Should the storms merge and pool their energy, a rapidly deepening snowstorm could develop on Friday. If they miss each other — even by 50 miles — most of the resulting storm's energy will be shifted further northward, leaving primarily rain for New York City."

That means that cities like Boston and Bangor, Maine will likely get hit very hard. The National Weather service says that come Friday travel will likely be nightmare and the storm could dump up two feet of snow in some parts of Massachusetts.

The Boston Herald reports:

"Snow will fall at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour Friday night into early Saturday, according to the weather service.

"Residents are encouraged to prepare for possible power outages across the region as winds could gust up to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service."

The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore has been tweeting different model runs this afternoon. The GFS, which Cantore says is "more realistic" gives Boston 16 inches and New York about six inches. The NAM comes to a more severe resolution, giving parts of New England up to 50 inches of snow.

Update at 6:14 p.m. ET. Blizzard Watch:

The National Weather Service has now issued a blizzard watch for Boston. They are now forecasting 18 to 24 inches of snow for big part of Massachusetts, northern Connecticut, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire.