What makes this storm different from the others

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - There has been a lot of buzz about Friday’s snowstorm, with people trying to compare this storm to others. Sometimes it's easier to understand a storm if we relate it to other big storms in our memory, but comparing this system to past events like the 2011 October Nor’Easter or the Blizzard of ’78 does not answer the question of how things will be.

How can you compare this year’s storm to the October Nor’Easter? Like that storm, there will be a lot of accumulating snow, but fortunately with the leaves off the trees now, we are probably not going to see the widespread amount of downed trees and branches that we saw back then. While some power outages are possible, they should not be as widespread as what was seen in October of 2011.

People have also been comparing this storm to the Blizzard of ‘78, which was almost 35 years ago to the day. A lot has changed since that crippling blizzard, with snow removal technology and methods having improved, and warnings are much more easily available.

Lastly, people have been asking how wet the snow will be. It might start out a little wetter at first, but as temperatures drop into tonight and tomorrow, the snow will be lighter and fluffier.

Don't forget, you can 22News Storm Team Meteorologist Nick Bannin questions about the storm, which he will be answering in the field, by sending a tweet @22newsstormteam using #winterstorm22News. You can also contact us on Facebook or through reportit@wwlp.com.