Most snow anticipated in eastern Hampden County

BRIMFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Eastern portions of Hampden County are expected to see more snow than other parts of western Massachusetts.

A couple of inches of snow had already fallen in Brimfield by 4:00 P.M. The drive from Chicopee to Brimfield on Friday afternoon was slow going, and due to the dangerous conditions, road travel has been banned by Governor Deval Patrick after 4:00 P.M.

Travel is not allowed on ANY roadway in Massachsuetts, with the exception of emergency workers, plow drivers, medical workers, and members of the media.

In Brimfield, multiple plow trucks and Mass DOT trucks were out at 4:00; plowing and treating the roadways.

One of the big concerns shared by people in eastern Hampden County, and across the region is the potential for power outages with this storm. As of the early afternoon, there were no significant power outages reported in western Massachusetts, but that could change during the evening hours, as wind gusts could hit up to 50 miles per hour.

Governor Patrick had said during a news conference on Thursday that power would not be restored until after the storm was over, however, 22News spoke with WMECo spokeswoman Priscilla Ress, who said they will be able to restore power if wind gusts remain under 40 mph, and they deem it safe to be able to repair any damages.

They expect this to be what they call a "Level 2 storm" whereas National Grid is anticipating a “Level 5” storm in eastern Parts of the state.