Boston to see most snowfall since 2011

BOSTON (WHDH) -- New Englanders have to think back to a couple of a winters ago, where snowfalls, like the one expected Friday, seemed like routine. That year, the region was hit with snow almost every week.

In the early morning hours, Boston saw a few flurries, but nothing substantial. A lot of salters and sanders were pre-treating the roads throughout the city. With that help, anyone who had to be on the roads in the morning should do okay in the first hours of snowfall, from late morning to early afternoon. By mid-afternoon, the streets were expected to be a very different story.

Video from 2011 shows Boston roadways covered in snow. Once the snow starts to fall at 1 or 2 inches per hour, it’s almost impossible for crew to keep up. Scenes similar to those of 2011 were expected for Friday night and Saturday morning.

Non-emergency vehicles were ordered off the road by noon in Boston by Gov. Patrick, and those driving in New England in the late afternoon should be cautious. By that time, with the expected snowfall, there will be trouble on the roadways and it will be easy for cars to spinout.

By Friday evening and early Saturday morning, roadways were expected to become almost impassable with white-out conditions.