Snow is expected to fall throughout the state all day Saturday into early Sunday morning, with the southeast and coastal areas hit hardest with up to 18 inches of snow and whiteout conditions in a few areas, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters issued a blizzard warning late Friday night for Plymouth County.
Towns in the upper Cape, mainly Sandwich, Bourne, and Barnstable, are expected to accumulate the most snow.
Meteorologist Glenn Field warned that forecasts were changing, and other areas could also see up to 18 inches.
A winter storm warning will be in effect for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket from 7 a.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday. The snowfall is expected to be heaviest Saturday afternoon and evening, forecasters said. Coupled with gusts up to 40 miles per hour, the snow in the southeast region will probably result in poor visibility and hazardous travel conditions.
“The combination of the snow falling and snow blowing up from the ground, you could have visibility [of] one-quarter mile or less,’’ National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Belk said.
Greater Boston residents can expect 4 to 8 inches of snow, beginning between 9 a.m. and noon and lasting more than 12 hours, Belk said.
The snow is expected to be light and fluffy.
Towns and cities in the northeast, east, and central Massachusetts will be facing less shoveling, with forecasters predicting 3 to 5 inches of snow. Communities further west will have the least snow, with forecasters predicting 2 to 4 inches for Worcester and 1 to 2 inches for Springfield.
Temperatures in Greater Boston will be in the mid-20s, considerably colder than the date’s average temperature of 36 degrees, Belk said.
On Friday morning, Arlington residents encountered slippery road conditions after town officials failed to adequately prepare streets in time for the morning commute. Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine issued an apology Friday afternoon, saying the snowy weather came earlier than expected and caught town workers off-guard.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced on Twitter that the city was preparing for Saturday’s snow by deploying 190 trucks by 11 a.m. to treat the roads. By 1 p.m., 420 trucks will be deployed, Walsh said.
Walsh had not declared a snow emergency in Boston as of late Friday night.
On Friday morning, Arlington residents encountered slippery road conditions after town officials failed to adequately prepare streets in time for the morning commute. Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine issued an apology Friday afternoon, saying the snowy weather came earlier than expected and caught town workers off-guard.
“The result was a challenging and potentially dangerous commute,’’ Chapdelaine said in a statement. “I am very sorry for any upset and frustration that this caused.’’
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced on Twitter that the city was preparing for Saturday’s snow by deploying 190 trucks by 11 a.m. to treat the roads. By 1 p.m., 420 trucks will be deployed, Walsh said.
Walsh had not declared a snow emergency in Boston as of late Friday night.
John R. Ellement and Steve Annear contributed to this story. Olivia Arnold can be reached at olivia.arnold @globe.com.
