Snow Possible As Winter Storm Watch Issued In Worcester Area

WORCESTER, MA — A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of Worcester County and western Middlesex County as a nor'easter approaches the region on Thursday.

The storm could drop anywhere from a trace to up to 7 inches in central Massachusetts, with higher totals in the Berkshires. There are no storm warnings in effect east of I-495, with mostly rain expected in the Boston and MetroWest areas, according to the latest forecasts.

"Difficult forecast for this late season snow event coming up! Best chance of heavy, wet snow is in the Berkshires and Worcester hills, with rain elsewhere," the National Weather Service said in a tweet early Thursday.

The winter storm watch extends from the Worcester area north to New Hampshire and east to Marlborough. Areas south of the Mass Pike along I-495, like Milford and Bellingham, are not included.

Far northwest Massachusetts is under a winter storm warning, while parts of the state along the I-91 corridor and the Mass Pike west of Springfield are under a winter weather advisory.

The storm is set to begin around 8 p.m. Thursday, with any snow ending by 8 a.m. Friday. The storm will turn to rain after that, with between 1-1/2 to 2 inches of precipitation between Worcester and Framingham, according to the forecast.