Residents react to weekday snowstorm in western Mass., with another on the way

A regional snowstorm Thursday had many businesses, jobs, and some public spaces closed. Residents took different approaches to spending the day.

Traversing through the snow in a plow down Main Street in Northampton was Ivan Giroux. He works for the parking administration in the city and said the biggest challenge isn't exactly the snow itself.

"The cold temperatures, more than anything, I could deal with the snow,”Giroux said. “It's when it gets single digits in the morning. It's tough because they start at four in the morning, so it's cold. I can't wait till spring."

Northampton resident Hannah Whitehead walked with her baby, Naomi, and her neighbor to Woodstar, a local cafe in the downtown, for treats. She said her daughter's daycare closed Thursday, but was happy to be with her in the snow.

"It's been fun,” Whitehead said. “She likes it. She doesn't. I don't know if she knows what to think of it, but she really likes eating it. That's her favorite part.”

A friend group walking out of the Smith College courtyard was bustling into downtown Northampton. Classes were canceled, so they spent the morning together.

“We had a long breakfast together…” 19-year-old Bronte Fuelner said.

"Yeah, we were staring out into the snow and like the steeple thing of Wilson. Like the bell thing you can see on top,” 18-year-old Reina Nakai said.

“And you and Reina and our friend, Amelia, were writing in their journals while we were watching the snowfall, listening to 'The Sound of Music,'" 18-year-old Maddy Wright said.

Fuelner admitted she'd been slipping due to the ice and sleet.

"Okay, yeah I've been falling all the time,” Fuelner said.

Some local businesses decided to stay open, like the Hungry Ghost Bread bakery. Owner Jonathan Stevens says he had to cut back on his mixes because the person who mixes the ingredients wasn't able to come in.

“I do know there is such a thing as a perfect storm… a snowstorm that starts at 5 p.m. where bread buyers get a little excited and a little frightened in a way that they almost kind of enjoy,” Stevens said. “They rush out and buy the bread, and then by the next morning we'll have shoveled up and it's all good. But, nobody asks me to design the snowstorms around here."

A winter storm watch is in effect for Saturday and Sunday with snow accumulations between 5 and 8 inches, according to the National Weather Service.