Area police are responding to numerous accidents as road conditions continue to deteriorate on Monday afternoon.
The morning commute was slow, but there were no serious accidents. But by 2 p.m., police in Massachusetts and New Hampshire were reporting that the worsening road conditions were causing multiple crashes.
Winter weather advisories were issued for parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island, with up to 8 inches of snow forecast for some areas. Dozens of school districts canceled classes and after-school activities.
"It's horrible," one seasonal Massachusetts resident told necn. "I should still be in Florida."
Three to 4 inches was expected around Boston and an inch or 2 on Cape Cod and the South Shore. Most of Rhode Island and Connecticut is expected to get in the 3 to 4 inch range, with less in coastal areas.
There have been numerous accidents and slide-offs on area roadways, though no serious injuries were reported. The maximum speed along the entire length of the Massachusetts Turnpike was reduced to 40 mph. The worst of the snowy road conditions is expected to be in the Boston-Providence corridor, with moderate to heavy snow at times during the evening commute home.
The snow was expected to come down in bands and last into the evening, when temperatures will plummet, and some streets may freeze over.
Low-temperature records that have stood for more than a century could fall in some spots, according to the National Weather Service.
"I'm ready for shorts and nice weather," said Joey Rivera of Worcester, Massachusetts. "It's April. I came out a couple days ago and it was like summer. I came out this morning and it's winter."
Monday's storm came a day after several inches of snow fell in some areas and high winds toppled hundreds of trees across New York City. High winds brought down a rotted tree in Abington about 20 miles south of Boston on Sunday, killing a married couple in their car.
Although northern New England was not expected to see much snow Monday, the cleanup continued the day after winds that gusted up to 50 mph knocked out power to tens of thousands in Maine. Sunday's high winds also knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, 5 inches of snow fell in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in time for the evening commute. Road conditions deteriorated throughout the day as the spring time snow was met with mixed emotions.
Fitchburg resident Michael McCarthy thought it was spring, but learned Monday that Old Man Winter decided to put up a fight.
"It doesn't look like it's stopping," he said Monday afternoon.
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So, he reattached his plow to clear driveways for friends and family, taking the late season snow like a true New Englander.
"As far as I am concerned, you get to see all four seasons, it's the best place to live in the world," McCarthy said.
Not everyone is so accepting, especially not those who were on the golf course last week, like Mike Szajner of Leominster.
"Yeah, it was beautiful," he said. "But it's typical of the Northeast. I wish I was golfing instead of in the snow."
His mom agreed.
"Just the inconvenience of it and that mentally you're psyched for warm weather," said Christine Szajner.
Across New England, the roads are slick again and the sights and sounds of winter are back, which means so too are the responsibilities.
"It can get annoying cleaning off the car," said Matt Sohlman of Fitchburg.
Fitchburg mom Lindsay Totman admits she had already put away the winter gear, making for a hectic morning getting her kids ready for school.
"I am like where is the other snow boot, it must be in a different closet in a box," she said laughing. "I had the winter coats away and everything, it's Spring. We should know better, but we don't."
Fitchburg students had a full day of school but all after school activities were canceled Monday.
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