WORCESTER, Mass. - Public works departments across the state are preparing for what's expected to be a significant nor'easter Tuesday, and in Worcester about 325 pieces of equipment will be on the roads during the storm.

The transition from rain to snow is expected to happen quickly in central Massachusetts Tuesday morning. With near-freezing temperatures, Worcester DPW commissioner Jay Fink expects heavy snow will create a challenge for his crews.

"That snow is going to be very heavy, which means it's going to be tough to plow, tough to move off the street," Fink said. "Any snow that accumulates more than an hour or so, it's really going to start to bust up some of the equipment that we're going to try pushing it with."

The city's declared winter parking ban is in place and there is no school in Worcester Tuesday.