East Bridgewater grappled with 19.5 inches of snow, while 25 miles away only 8 inches of snow fell on South Boston.

The season’s first major winter storm on Saturday had some Greater Boston residents counting their blessings, while others groaned under the weight of their shovels as they dug out. It was a clear case of the snow haves and have-mores.

Seven inches fell at Logan Airport, while just southward Quincy residents contended with 10.5.

New Bedford residents had more than three times as much snow, at 16 inches, than parts of Worcester, which recorded only 4.8.

Why the disparities? Saturday’s storm track caused what National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Simpson called a “relatively sharp cut-off’’ in snowfall.

It was a pretty classic nor’easter. Eastern Massachusetts had more snow than areas in central parts of the state, such as Worcester, because the low pressure system fell about 100 miles east of where it “normally’’ sits, Simpson said.

When the air is around 20 degrees cooler than the ocean, the cold front picks up the surface moisture and creates what is called a “ocean effect snow.’’ However, Saturday’s storm was “more of a convergency than an ocean-effect snow,’’ Simpson said.

At 44 degrees to 46 degrees, the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Massachusetts is “still a couple degrees warmer than normal for this time of year.’’

New Englanders are accustomed to drastic swings in temperature and variances in the weather, and this week will be a prime example of that. By mid-week, the snow drifts are likely to melt away as temperatures are expected to rise into the 50s.

But don’t stash those snow shovels away just yet: The forecast calls for a chance of snow on Monday.

Maddie Kilgannon can be reached at maddie.kilgannon@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaddieKilgannon.