A forecasted Sunday snowstorm, following sub-zero temperatures sweeping into the region Friday night, has sent western Massachusetts scrambling to prepare homes, power lines and roads for what could be the worst winter storm in years.
Stretching from New Mexico to New England, the forecasted winter storm is expected to be the biggest of the season so far. The National Weather Service predicts the storm system will reach the Northeast Sunday morning and drop an estimated 12 to 18 inches of snow in Massachusetts, including the Pioneer Valley, over the course of Sunday.
However, before that happens, a cold front from the Arctic is expected to arrive starting Friday, dropping single-digit temperatures to -20 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit with the wind chill.
With the system moving through most of the United States, salt and ice melt resources could go fast, said Steve Moore, a team leader at Rocky’s Ace Hardware in South Hadley.
Matthew Carrara, president of Doble Engineering in Marlborough, said the intense demand for power to heat homes across the country will put stress on the electrical grid and increase the chance of power outages. He recommends people check their heating sources and supplies.
“Never mind just shoveling snow and putting salt down, we got to make sure that your home is safe for your families,” Moore said.
Power of the storm
While the temperature reading may sit in the single digits, National Weather Service Meteorologist Caitlyn Mensh said chilly winds from the blast of Arctic air will likely make the temperature feel much lower. Since frostbite can happen within 30 minutes of skin exposure to sub-zero temperatures, she suggests people cover and bundle up as much as possible.
Residents can also find the closest warming center in their city or town listed on their respective municipal websites. In Belchertown, the Senior Center at 60 State St. will be open during the day. Easthampton’s Public Safety Complex at 32 Payson Ave serves as a shelter from the cold. Northampton has eight buildings open to those looking for a warm place listed on the city website, including the Senior Center at 67 Conz St., Forbes Library at 20 West St. and Clinical & Support Options at 29 Industrial Drive East.
The heaviest snowfall will take place on Sunday afternoon, likely between 5 and midnight, but the white flakes could begin to fall on Sunday morning. The storm moves from the southeast to the northwest and will hit western Massachusetts first by a few hours, Mensch said.
Snow will remain dry and fluffy, which is good for shoveling and reduces the risk of power outages, Eversource spokesperson Olessa Stepanova said.
“Our big problem during the snow is the wet snow because it sticks to power lines and brings them down. It also sticks to tree limbs that can fall on lines,” she continued. “The light fluffy snow that we’re expecting, it kind of works in our favor. However, if we get two feet of snow, that could also be a problem.”
Stress on the grid
Stepanova said crews have been preparing for potential outages in advance of the storm. She said the southeast portion of Massachusetts might need more attention, but it’s too early to know. Eversource will shift crews to meet customer needs accordingly.
“Utilities are doing what they’re really good at, which is staging crews so in an outage they can respond really quickly,” said Carrara, of Doble Engineering. “But with such a big storm, crews will be stretched and stretched, so we could see power outages lasting longer than normal.”
A 2025 survey from data analytics company JD Power found that outages during extreme weather events in 2025 lasted four hours longer than in 2022. Carrara, who runs an electrical diagnostics company, warns that outages could last longer simply due to demand on the grid. When there is a power outage, utility companies reroute electricity to a different transformer. He estimates 90% of transformers nationwide are over 80 years old, and the outdated infrastructure can fail when running above capacity.
“The biggest impact will be the cold,” Carrara said. “When we talk extreme weather events, it doesn’t have to be a snowstorm. Areas that never required heating now require heating. Overall it’s an impact of climate change.”
Eversource relies on customer reports to locate power outages, Stepanova said. If power goes down, call 877-659-6326 or report it online. She also requests customers with natural gas keep vents and meters clear of ice or snow, which can impair operations
Prepping the roads
As utility companies prep their crews, municipal public works crews have spent time this week gathering ice melt and readying plows. Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said it will take a while for the DPW to plow the city’s 160 miles of roads, and asks residents to be patient during the storm.
“Any significant snow operation takes time, so I really want to encourage everybody to be safe,” she said. “If it is snowing, and road conditions look dangerous, and you can possibly stay home, please do.”
In Belchertown, the Department of Public Works is preparing to plow 340 miles of roads. DPW Director Linda Leduc said the town’s order of 600 tons of salt and ice melt is currently stuck out at sea, and she’s been trying to find a solution.
“We’ve had to go to our second vendor, who has not been that responsive,” she said. “We’re working to conserve salt resources, and hoping to get loads of white, which is the untreated salt.”
Typically, highway departments pretreat the roads with salt before a storm, then add another layer after the storm. With the salt shortage, treatments in between pre-treatments and post-treatments will occur less frequently.
“We have not had salt issues since I’ve been here,” Leduc said. “You do hear about it. Last winter there were other communities having issues getting salt.”
Municipalities are not the only ones looking for ice melt. Moore said Rocky ACE Hardware currently has a good supply of calcium chloride, pet-safe salt and premium blends, but it will likely move quickly during Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
“A national shortage with anyone that sells ice melt, not just with us, even with the box stores,” Moore said. “Brands are having issues keeping up with demands, and with storms going from Texas up to us, everyone is going to be seeking ice melt.”
If salt is sold out, Moore suggests using tube sand to give cars some traction. It will not help melt ice, but it will prevent spinning out. He also adds that the store has hundreds of shovels to clear driveways and sidewalks for after the storm passes.