Winter Storm Hercules seems almost a distant memory, the snow evaporating in the subsequent 60 degree weather almost as quickly as it was swiftly dumped upon us en masse. But just as we begin to adjust to New England’s fickle January weather, it appears that Mother Nature has more fluffy white precipitation in store for the Greater Boston Area.

The National Weather Service has issued dual warnings for the commonwealth’s eastern seaboard – a winter storm warning for Boston, the North Shore, and much of central and southwestern Massachusetts as well as a blizzard warning for the South Shore and Cape Cod.

But before you start scrambling to stock up your canned goods, frozen pizzas and liquor cabinet, keep in mind that our forthcoming flurry isn’t expected to be as harsh as the last.

According to the NWS, the area encompassing the cities of Foxboro, Norwood, Cambridge, Quincy and Boston will be under a winter storm warning from 1:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon through 1:00 p.m. Wednesday. We’re looking at heavy snow, some six to 10 inches, with 15 to 25 mph winds and gusts thought to reach upwards of 40.

Areas on the South Shore, extending from Plymouth down through Nantucket, have eight to 12 inches in store with 20 to 30 mph winds and gusts blustering up to 50 mph.

And while the forecast sounds bitter enough, it’s thought we won’t get hit as hard was we did by Hercules. According to WBZ’s Todd Gutner, Hercules poured it on for some 36-hours while the one right on our doorstep will only last for 12 to 18.

But even the predictions and accumulations for Hercules were bumped up on the fly. So in the spirit of preparedness, be sure to check out all information in regards to parking in the city during snow emergencies, road closures, and public transit scheduling updates so you’re not left out in the cold.

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