Blast of Arctic Air Prompting School Closures, Safety Measures

An extreme blast of arctic air is expected to hit New England Wednesday and Thursday

An extreme blast of arctic air is expected to hit New England Wednesday night, prompting schools to close their doors Thursday and public officials to take safety measures.

Low temperatures, heavy winds, and snow squalls will make temperatures feel as low as 30 below zero into Thursday. A wind chill warning and advisory, as well as freezing spray along the coastline,  will impact New England's states.

Massachusetts schools that are closed:

  • Boston
  • Chelsea
  • Lawrence
  • Lowell
  • Revere
  • Southbridge
  • New Bedford
  • Everett
  • Worcester
  • Spencer
  • Springfield
  • Holyoke
  • Malden

Southern New Hampshire schools that have delayed openings:

  • Nashua
  • Manchester
  • Windham
  • Timberlane
  • Amherst
  • Barnstead
  • Bedford
  • Brookline
  • Derry
  • Hampstead
  • Hillsborough
  • Hollis
  • Hookset
  • Jaffrey-Rindge
  • Litchfield
  • Londonderry
  • Mason
  • Merrimack
  • Milford
  • Mont Vernon
  • Salem
  • Washington

Massachusetts schools that have delayed openings:

  • Acton
  • Boxboro
  • Andover
  • North Andover
  • Ashfordham-Westminster
  • Athol-Royalston Regional
  • Auburn
  • Brockton
  • Clinton
  • Dracut
  • Gardner
  • Littleton
  • Lunenburg
  • Methuen
  • Millbury
  • Norwood
  • Petersham
  • Quabbin Regional
  • Salem
  • West Boylston
  • Westford
  • Winchendon

Public schools in Providence, Rhode Island, are also closed on Thursday.

For the children who do have to go to school, it's hard work for the people maintaining the buses.

At Local Motion in Braintree, a night supervisor is one of four people keeping a close eye on more than 100 buses leaving from two separate locations in the morning. The company has already changed its fuel mixture to prevent lines from freezing up, and will start the buses periodically overnight.

"The lines get frozen, the diesel fuel gels, and it's nearly impossible to get them started," co-owner Bruce Barrows said.

Even though Local Motion has taken preventative measures, Barrows warns parents all over to make sure their children are dressed warm.

"Once you're in these vessels, they're still going to be cold," he said. "There's not much insulation on any of these buses."

The Pine Street Inn, a shelter for the homeless in Boston, says they plan to ensure the safety of the city's homeless men and women during the cold weather. 

In addition, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is warning riders to expect possible delays.

  • For the latest weather forecast in your area, click here.
  • Have you downloaded the NECN weather app? It's free for iPhone, iPad and Android users. Get it today by clicking here.
  • Weather maps and radar available here.
  • The latest severe weather alerts can be found here.
Contact Us