Slow start but snowy finish for storm

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - This storm had a slow start, but definitely lived up to the build up.

It sucks, it's too much snow, too much snow, too much snow," said Stephen Zielinski from West Springfield.

After a relatively light start to the snow on Friday, once the clock struck midnight...everything changed.

"We’ve been kind of out in the streets enjoying it, but it turned into a bear after 12 o'clock," said Dan O’Connell of Longmeadow.

Skeptics of the storm turned into believers as snowfall totals quickly picked up in the early morning hours.

"This one looked ugly as far as that map goes and you guys hit it head on. I've got to give you credit for that one for sure," said Bill Swaine from West Springfield.

What we were left with was a lot of snow and not a lot of places to put it.

With so many grocery stores, coffee shops and restaurants all closed after the storm. There was only one thing to do...clean up.

Easier said than done. Some people needed a little helping hand to dig out their cars out of multiple feet of snow drifts.

With so much snow on the ground, the driving ban didn't stop people from swerving on Interstate 91 or overtaking our 22News car in Longmeadow on a two lane road.

While Stephen Zielinski told 22News this storm was as powerful as the Blizzard of '78, he said we were better prepared this time around.

"Back then nobody knew it was coming so it was disastrous for a lot of people on the roads and now everybody knew so everybody stayed home,"  said Zielinski.