What to Expect With Thursday SouthCoast Winter Storm

We really don't have much to complain about.  Other than some brutally cold temperatures and uncomfortable winds and wind chills, this winter has been relatively snow-free.  In fact, the past few winters have been relatively quiet and mild compared to some past SouthCoast winters (I'm looking at you, 2015).  That trend may be coming to an end over the next few days.

What do we expect to see as the day progresses?  Kristina Shalhoup from the ABC 6 Weather Center says that while the snow won't stick around too long, that doesn't mean that this storm won't affect travel.

"I expect the snow to start sometime in the 7 o'clock hour, possibly a little later on the SouthCoast.  We expect accumulations on the SouthCoast to be pretty negligible.  You're looking at around a coating to an inch or so.  Not much."

LISTEN:  Hear Kristina talk about the storm with Michael, Gazelle and Michaela below.

Does that mean we're in the clear?  Not so much.

Kristina Shalhoup says after the SouthCoast gets that inch or so of wet snow we'll start to see a changeover to a wintry mix.  The sleet will hang around for a bit before it changes over to a freezing rain and rain.  "Basically, we're going to end up with slop by the end of today on the SouthCoast roads," said Shalhoup.

The storm had school districts split.  The western half of the SouthCoast (like Fall River, Seekonk, Swansea, Taunton and Westport) tended to close schools.  It was business as usual Thursday for New Bedford, Fairhaven, Old Rochester, and Wareham.

Delayed openings weren't an option as weather isn't expected to improve throughout the school day.