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| Duxbury Bay, MA |
We had ridiculous snow, possibly record setting in some places. We had coastal flooding that was tearing down seawalls in Green Harbor and coastlines in Nauset. We have widespread, multiple-day school closings, and we even had a statewide driving ban.
Not too shabby, especially for a storm which the local news stations never mentioned until 48 hours before it started. I had an article up a full news cycle before the local TV forecasters (who were too busy hyping the piddling Saturday snow) did, a truly disgraceful black mark on their reputations.
When I published, only NECN had anything up about a potential blizzard, and their headline ended in a question mark. Accuweather, who I don't work for, had the blizzard forecast and some conservative snowfall totals up several hours before local stations even mentioned that it may snow.
Several generations of Boston forecasters have enhanced the town's reputation for spotty forecasting. The Blizzard of '78, the Halloween Gale/Perfect Storm, Hurricane Earl and now this storm... all blown forecasts to some extent, and forecasts that left Massachusetts residents unaware and unprepaed.
Of course, the Boston forecasters are scientists, and have forgotten more about weather than I shall I ever learn. I'm a sportswriter, by trade. But I also was the one who got the forecast correct...
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| Bourne, MA |
This was a major blizzard, and I'd imagine that some local town records were challenged. It basically snowed from about noon Monday through Wednesday morning, heavy and hard like a fat porn star.
Cranberry County's coastline also furthered our reputation for impact snow events. We get rain when the rest of the state gets snow a lot... but when we get snow, baby, we don't f*ck with the small totals.
I'm always more impressed when Plymouth gets 15" at sea level than when some higher elevation gets 20". Plymouth pretty much doubled that 15" figure, and flooding was catastrophic all up and down the South Shore. Worcester doesn't get coastal flooding.
Marsh Vegas seems to have won the Worst Storm Damage award, as they lost some seawall and several houses. Scituate gets most of the attention, but Marshfield and especially Duxbury usually get the worst damage.
Duxbury people, when walking around Scituate, always remark that they (Scituate gets ridiculous flooding, don't get me wrong... the Duxbuy/Scituate coastal flood rivalry involves a lot of one-upping comparisons, akin to two guys in Hell arguing about who has the better heater) couldn't flood that badly. When asked why, the answer is always "The beach houses in Scituate are all 1940s-looking... the 1940s beach houses have all been destroyed in Duxbury."
Thusly, Duxbuy Beach is the epicenter of "Watch some yuppie over-renovate a cottage, then move away the next year after they see a nor'easter up close for the first time" activity. Veterans of that stretch of coastline can usually spot these types as they are moving in.
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| Duxbury Beach, MA |
Let's peep some snowfall totals, shall we?
Remember, these are NWS trained spotters, which means that they were told to find an undisturbed meadow and average out 10 yardstick measurements. If they say that your town only got 11" but you couldn't find your car in your own driveway, remember that snowfall totals can vary wildly as you cross a town. Duxbuy, to use a local example, is about as large physically as Boston.
For instance, most of you remember the Blizzard of '78 as a snow event. "I could step out of my 10th story apartment window into a snowbank," and so forth. On Duxbury Beach, I never saw a flake. I remember that storm as a coastal flood, of the highest order.
Also remember that Boston measures at the airport, which is right on the coast. That gives them some odd totals. Marshfield, Hanson and one of the Plymouth measurements are also airport-based.
Oh yeah, snowfall totals....
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| Duxbury Beach, MA |
...BARNSTABLE COUNTY... WEST HARWICH 30.5 915 AM 1/28 SPOTTER HYANNIS 27.0 748 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO EAST FALMOUTH 24.8 1000 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER WEST YARMOUTH 24.0 250 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO HARWICH 23.0 749 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORTH FALMOUTH 22.5 1055 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO SOUTH HYANNIS 22.0 1054 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO CENTERVILLE 21.0 700 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER SOUTH DENNIS 18.2 728 PM 1/27 EMERGENCY MANAGER ORLEANS 17.6 547 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER WELLFLEET 17.5 136 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO CHATHAM 17.1 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP BREWSTER 14.0 308 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...BRISTOL COUNTY... EAST FREETOWN 26.0 458 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO FALL RIVER 24.1 1111 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO SOMERSET 24.0 1235 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ACUSHNET 22.2 605 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER NEW BEDFORD 21.0 808 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO TAUNTON 20.8 416 AM 1/28 NWS OFFICE MANSFIELD 19.8 548 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER NORTH DIGHTON 19.5 839 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO FAIRHAVEN 19.0 629 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORTH ATTLEBORO 18.9 306 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO WEST ACUSHNET 17.5 808 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO NORTH ACUSHNET 16.0 806 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...DUKES COUNTY... OAK BLUFFS 27.0 237 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO EDGARTOWN 20.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP WEST TISBURY 19.0 1053 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO
...NANTUCKET COUNTY... NANTUCKET 12.0 411 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO
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| Bourne, MA |
...NORFOLK COUNTY... SHARON 31.0 923 AM 1/28 GENERAL PUBLIC MILTON 30.8 927 AM 1/28 COOP OBSERVER 3 SSW MILTON 30.8 800 AM 1/28 BLUE HILL BRAINTREE 26.0 407 PM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC BLUE HILLS 25.5 100 PM 1/27 CO-OP OBSERVER WALPOLE 24.6 619 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORTH WEYMOUTH 24.5 1119 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO QUINCY 24.5 840 PM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC SOUTH WEYMOUTH 24.0 907 PM 1/27 MEDIA NEEDHAM HEIGHTS 23.0 956 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER WEYMOUTH 23.0 404 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO RANDOLPH 23.0 1003 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER NORWOOD 22.3 700 AM 1/28 NWS EMPLOYEE FOXBORO 22.0 624 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO WRENTHAM 22.0 1249 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO FRANKLIN 21.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP NORFOLK 20.0 1251 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO MEDFIELD 19.0 430 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO COHASSET 18.3 235 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER WEST WALPOLE 18.0 1107 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO STOUGHTON 17.0 429 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO MILLIS 16.5 620 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...PLYMOUTH COUNTY... PLYMOUTH 30.7 1139 PM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC NORWELL 28.0 1116 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO KINGSTON 28.0 526 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER MARSHFIELD 25.0 841 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER HANOVER 24.0 736 PM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC HULL 23.5 817 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO PEMBROKE 23.0 432 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ROCKLAND 22.0 913 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER BROCKTON 22.0 1135 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER WEST WAREHAM 21.5 230 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER CARVER 21.3 900 PM 1/27 NWS EMPLOYEE HANSON 20.0 605 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO MIDDLEBORO 19.5 1112 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO BRIDGEWATER 18.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP ROCHESTER 18.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP
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| Sandwich, MA |
...SUFFOLK COUNTY... SOUTH BOSTON 31.0 100 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER BOSTON 26.0 300 PM 1/27 NONE 1 N EAST BOSTON 24.6 700 AM 1/28 AIRPORT WINTHROP 24.6 700 AM 1/28 NONE BOSTON CITY 17.6 534 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...WORCESTER COUNTY... AUBURN 36.0 947 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER LUNENBURG 36.0 717 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER 3 WNW WORCESTER 34.5 1200 AM 1/28 AIRPORT CLINTON 34.1 419 PM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC WEST BOYLSTON 33.5 730 PM 1/27 COCORAHS WORCESTER 32.0 421 PM 1/27 NONE HOLDEN 32.0 546 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER UPTON 31.5 754 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER MILFORD 31.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP SHREWSBURY 30.9 740 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER WHITINSVILLE 30.0 503 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER FITCHBURG 30.0 305 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER NORTHBOROUGH 29.3 217 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER STERLING 29.3 352 PM 1/27 NONE SPENCER 29.0 735 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER NORTH GRAFTON 29.0 805 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER LEOMINSTER 29.0 437 PM 1/27 NONE LANCASTER 28.5 302 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO BOYLSTON 28.0 534 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER LEICESTER 27.0 222 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORTHBORO 27.0 1217 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO HARVARD 27.0 910 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER BERLIN 26.5 1102 AM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC BOLTON 26.0 318 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORTH WORCESTER 24.0 914 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO DOUGLAS 24.0 312 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER MENDON 23.0 249 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO SOUTHBRIDGE 22.3 700 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER SOUTHBORO 22.1 1133 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO FISKDALE 21.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP OAKHAM 18.0 301 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO WESTMINSTER 16.0 1052 AM 1/28 HAM RADIO HUBBARDSTON 13.0 223 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO ASHBURNHAM 10.0 426 PM 1/27 CO-OP OBSERVER HARDWICK 9.3 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP
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| Monument Beach, MA |
RHODE ISLAND ...KENT COUNTY... WEST WARWICK 20.5 954 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER 2 NNW WARWICK 19.1 1200 AM 1/28 AIRPORT GREENE 18.0 351 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER WARWICK 11.0 930 AM 1/28 NONE ...NEWPORT COUNTY... TIVERTON 19.0 807 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO MIDDLETOWN 16.0 738 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER ...PROVIDENCE COUNTY... BURRILLVILLE 28.5 731 AM 1/28 GENERAL PUBLIC WEST GLOCESTER 25.6 714 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER N. CUMBERLAND 24.0 1140 AM 1/28 TRAINED SPOTTER GLENDALE 23.5 254 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORTH FOSTER 21.7 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP CRANSTON 19.5 828 AM 1/28 GENERAL PUBLIC PROVIDENCE/NORTH PRO 18.5 709 AM 1/28 GENERAL PUBLIC SMITHFIELD 18.0 627 PM 1/27 HAM RADIO CUMBERLAND 18.0 213 PM 1/27 NWS EMPLOYEE N. CIMBERLAND 18.0 1221 PM 1/27 NONE PAWTUCKET 17.0 925 AM 1/28 GENERAL PUBLIC PROVIDENCE 17.0 622 PM 1/27 MEDIA WOONSOCKET 16.0 800 AM 1/28 CO-OP NORTH PROVIDENCE 16.0 1215 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER 1 W PROVIDENCE 15.5 509 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER EAST PROVIDENCE 14.5 837 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER ...WASHINGTON COUNTY... WESTERLY 21.0 624 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER HOPE VALLEY 18.5 527 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER NORTH KINGSTOWN 16.0 1208 AM 1/28 FINAL HOPKINTON 14.5 203 PM 1/27 NONE SAUNDERSTOWN 12.0 1145 AM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC
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| Bourne, MA |
We also have some peak wind gust measurements, and I seem to be stuck in this font now:
MASSACHUSETTS ...ANZ235... 6 WSW CUTTYHUNK 62 200 AM 1/27 BUOY BUZM3 ...ANZ250... 8 SSE BASS ROCKS 67 804 AM 1/27 BUOY 44029 ...ANZ251... 8 NNE MINOT 64 450 AM 1/27 BUOY 44013 ...BARNSTABLE COUNTY... CHATHAM 75 926 AM 1/27 CHH UPPER AIR CENTERVILLE 72 915 AM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER SAGAMORE 70 313 AM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC PROVINCETOWN 68 655 AM 1/27 PVC AWOS FALMOUTH 68 415 AM 1/27 FMH AWOS WELLFLEET 65 515 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO SOUTH DENNIS 64 1240 PM 1/27 EMERGENCY MANAGER BARNSTABLE 63 325 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO YARMOUTH 61 1229 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO 2 NW CHATHAM 59 249 AM 1/27 ASOS EAST FALMOUTH 56 621 AM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER BOURNE 54 623 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO WEST CHATHAM 50 100 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...BRISTOL COUNTY... FAIRHAVEN 64 340 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO FALL RIVER 55 506 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO 3 NW NEW BEDFORD 55 120 AM 1/27 ASOS ...DUKES COUNTY... AQUINNAH 74 133 AM 1/27 GENERAL PUBLIC EDGARTOWN 67 641 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO 3 S VINEYARD HAVEN 66 149 AM 1/27 ASOS OAK BLUFFS 60 1224 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO
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| The Great Salt Marsh, Duxbury MA |
...ESSEX COUNTY... ROCKPORT 64 1253 PM 1/27 MEDIA ...NANTUCKET COUNTY... NANTUCKET 78 1244 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO 2 ESE NANTUCKET 76 535 AM 1/27 ASOS ...NORFOLK COUNTY... MILTON 51 547 AM 1/27 COOP OBSERVER 3 SSW MILTON 49 132 AM 1/27 ASOS ...PLYMOUTH COUNTY... HUMAROCK 74 553 AM 1/27 BROADCAST MEDIA PLYMOUTH 72 1039 AM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER 4 SW PLYMOUTH 65 1002 AM 1/27 ASOS MARSHFIELD 61 1110 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO SCITUATE 58 251 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO NORWELL 50 236 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...WORCESTER COUNTY... NORTH MILFORD 57 412 AM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER 3 WNW WORCESTER 55 752 AM 1/27 ASOS NORTHBOROUGH 52 220 PM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER RHODE ISLAND ...ANZ236... 3 ENE KIEFER PARK 54 454 AM 1/27 NOS QPTR1 1 SSW NAYATT 53 454 AM 1/27 NOS CPTR1 ...KENT COUNTY... 2 NNW WARWICK 49 431 AM 1/27 ASOS ...NEWPORT COUNTY... NEWPORT 53 612 AM 1/27 NOS NWPR1 4 NE NEWPORT 53 432 AM 1/27 ASOS MIDDLETOWN 50 130 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO ...WASHINGTON COUNTY... NARRAGANSETT 51 357 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO
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| Bourne, MA |
MASSACHUSETTS ...ANZ235... 6 WSW CUTTYHUNK 53 100 AM 1/27 BUOY BUZM3 ...ANZ250... 8 SSE BASS ROCKS 54 204 AM 1/27 BUOY 44029 ...ANZ251... 8 NNE MINOT 47 450 AM 1/27 BUOY 44013 ...BARNSTABLE COUNTY... PROVINCETOWN 53 415 AM 1/27 PVC AWOS WELLFLEET 52 515 AM 1/27 HAM RADIO 2 NE HYANNIS 45 957 AM 1/27 ASOS FALMOUTH 45 255 AM 1/27 FMH AWOS EAST FALMOUTH 44 621 AM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER CENTERVILLE 44 915 AM 1/27 TRAINED SPOTTER 2 NW CHATHAM 33 728 AM 1/27 ASOS ...BRISTOL COUNTY... FALL RIVER 38 1242 AM 1/27 NOS BLTM3 3 NW NEW BEDFORD 35 152 AM 1/27 ASOS ...DUKES COUNTY... 3 S VINEYARD HAVEN 46 435 AM 1/27 ASOS ...ESSEX COUNTY... ROCKPORT 44 733 AM 1/27 MEDIA 5 WNW BEVERLY 33 343 PM 1/27 ASOS ...NANTUCKET COUNTY... 2 ESE NANTUCKET 59 609 AM 1/27 ASOS NANTUCKET 40 1006 AM 1/27 NOS NTKM3 ...NORFOLK COUNTY... 3 SSW MILTON 32 355 AM 1/27 ASOS ...PLYMOUTH COUNTY... 4 SW PLYMOUTH 47 225 AM 1/27 ASOS MARSHFIELD 31 1135 AM 1/27 GHG AWOS ...SUFFOLK COUNTY... 1 N EAST BOSTON 32 541 AM 1/27 ASOS ...WORCESTER COUNTY... 3 WNW WORCESTER 31 1141 AM 1/27 ASOS RHODE ISLAND ...ANZ236... 1 SSW NAYATT 44 430 AM 1/27 NOS CPTR1 3 ENE KIEFER PARK 39 812 AM 1/27 NOS QPTR1 ...KENT COUNTY... 2 NNW WARWICK 38 441 AM 1/27 ASOS ...NEWPORT COUNTY... NEWPORT 39 542 AM 1/27 NOS NWPR1 4 NE NEWPORT 37 1257 AM 1/27 ASOS ...WASHINGTON COUNTY... NEW SHOREHAM 43 1215 AM 1/27 BID AWOS NARRAGANSETT 37 900 AM 1/27 POTTERS COVE NAXR1
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Thanks to our embedded photographers, Tristan (Bourne), Sara (Duxbury Beach), Joe II (Duxbury Beach), Carter (Sandwich), Bill (Duxbury) and Jessica (Bourne).
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| Our author, in a moment of reflection.... |
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