Weather Nut, Henry's Weather Channel Snowstorm Predictions

Two self-made weathermen give snowstorm predictions for New England, with one forecasting 8-12 inches and the other 5-10 inches.

As New Englanders search for information on the looming snowstorm expected to hit over the weekend, Massachusetts residents need look no further than two self-made weathermen dedicated to weather in the Bay State.

Dave Hayes, who's based in Western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley, and Henry Swenson, who hails from Topsfield on the North Shore, both run weather accounts on multiple social media pages that have garnered tens of thousands of followers across each of their platforms.

Hayes is also an official "Severe Weather Spotter" for the National Weather Service, and Swenson is a 21-year-old, self-proclaimed "New England's Instagram Weatherman," with more than 11,000 followers on the platform.

Each delivers a unique, personalized perspective on local weather as they source from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, the National Weather Service and other national weather reporters to inform residents all over the state.

Both weathermen shared their forecasts and snow totals for the upcoming New England winter storm expected to start Saturday, Jan. 6 and fall into Sunday, Jan. 7. Here's what each had to say.

The Weather Nut said the snow could begin an hour earlier than other reports, starting anywhere between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday. Hayes said the snow will become heavier and steadier "either side of midnight."

Hayes said the storm is "very likely" to have a first burst of moderate to heavy snow late Saturday night into Sunday morning, with the brunt of the snowfall falling in those dark hours.

The Weather Nut called Sunday a "wild card," and said there's a chance the snow could turn "showery and patchy" mid-morning Sunday through the afternoon. If temperatures are in the low 30s, Hayes said there may not be much accumulation Sunday with intermittent snow showers.

However, he said there's a possibility of a widespread 7-14 inches of snow across the region -- it all depends on the warm air moving after the first burst of moderate to heavy snow, Hayes explained, which could make the difference of a moderate snowfall bringing just 5-10 inches.

In addition, wind gusts could be between 20 and 30 mph over the course of Saturday and Sunday, with the stronger winds in hillier areas, Hayes said.

The Weather Nut's snowfall predictions came to a total of 5-10 inches for the Western Massachusetts region.

Hayes also predicted a "3-7 inch area" in "possibly even the northern third of Berkshire County," along with for southern Vermont and southwest New Hampshire. Hayes said a brief mix of rain can't be ruled out for parts of Connecticut, but it will be back to snow Sunday as the storm is expected to move east.

In his closing remarks, The Weather Nut cautioned of another storm next week.

"Another storm looms for next weekend which may be more of a mixed precip event, so this has been your Jekyll-n-HydeCast for today! Have a great day and check back with me about our first widespread snowfall of this nascent winter season!" Hayes wrote.

Swenson's forecast is predicting a more-concentrated and earlier start time as well, with his most recent update on Friday showing snow likely on the radar across the state between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. He also predicted some "mixing" precipitation to launch the winter storm on Saturday night.

Henry's Weather Channel said the precipitation will change to all snow by Sunday morning and will be on the heavier side near the coast before temperatures drop to the upper 20s in the afternoon.

Swenson said snowfall rates could be 1-2 inches per hour at times on Sunday morning, and noted some weather models showed "extremely heavy snow" continuing into the afternoon across southern New England as the storm intensifies.

Henry's Weather Channel predictions were windier than The Weather Nut's at 30 to 40 mph gusts along the coastline, and he said blowing snow will create low visibility. Swenson said the snow will likely be heavy and wet, and that some isolated power outages could be expected.

The weatherman said a widespread snowfall total will probably be 8-12 inches across southern New England and much of southern New York, with the onset mixing along the coast of Eastern Massachusetts to bring 5-8 inches. But just inland could see that 8-12 inches, however, Swenson said.

Some isolated amounts could total more than a foot of snow, Henry's Weather Channel predicted. The heaviest snow in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine is predicted to be far south.

"The southern ski mountains should make out pretty well!" Swenson said. "Some minor tweaks are possible so stay tuned but this is locked in! GET READY," he wrote under his Instagram post update.