The same storm that pummeled much of the mid-Atlantic also brought misery to New England, and while the track was more westward than originally expected, blizzard conditions were confirmed in Massachusetts.
Some areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut saw as many as 18 inches of snow. The heavy snow and wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph prompted a blizzard warning for southwestern Maine and parts of New Hampshire. Blizzard conditions have been confirmed by the National Weather Service in Lawrence, Massachusetts and unofficially in Portsmouth, New Hampshire as well.
Snowfall intensified late in the morning and into the afternoon Tuesday, with flakes falling at a clip of 2 to 4 inches per hour. However, the track was slightly more westward than originally forecasted.
Wind gusts were expected to be much stronger than the threshold for blizzard conditions, with New England's coastline seeing up to 80 mph winds and gusts hitting 50 mph for inland locations.
The storm included wind gusts up to 72 mph in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and knocked out power to many areas of New England. As of 8 p.m., tens of thousands were still without power:
- Massachusetts: 44,547
- New Hampshire: 44,288
- Maine: 38,477
- Connecticut: 22,031
- Rhode Island: 345
- Vermont: 297
The storm created travel problems and school delays and closures from Maine to the mid-Atlantic; Boston Public Schools will be closed for a second day in a row, Mayor Marty Walsh announced Tuesday afternoon.
In New Hampshire, many towns were holding elections, and some towns have rescheduled. A 16-year-old Gilford, New Hampshire girl was also killed after losing control of her sedan on snowy roads, according to state police.
In Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy advised residents "to make brownies ... and/or read a book" rather than venture out on the roads.
Crews in Narragansett, Rhode Island are also cleaning up after high winds tore down a state-owned wind turbine on Salty Brine State Beach.
However, Tuesday morning's snowfall was light enough for some to venture outside before conditions became worse.
Bob Penning and Donna Salvi were taking a walk with their dog in downtown Leominster to enjoy the light snowfall and grab coffee.
"I love the snow, and I get a day off, so I get to go outside and play with the dog and make something yummy in the kitchen," Salvi said.
In Kittery, Maine, Charlotte Doney said she was also grabbing coffee before the storm picked up intensity "because we are New Englanders and we desperately need coffee. And we just need to get out before we are totally snowed in."
In Rhode Island, state police said clogged storm drains caused highway flooding. Transportation officials were working to clear the drains on Interstate 95 and Interstate 295. Both highways remained open.
State Police said conditions Tuesday night would be icy and were asking people to stay at home. There were more than a dozen minor accidents during the day.
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Strong winds from the storm knocked over a state-owned wind turbine at a Narragansett beach. No one was hurt.
Vermont residents were also out and about as the storm intensified.
Chris Danforth was biking in the snowy roads because "it's great exercise, it's a good way to stay warm when you're outside."
He was also looking forward to sledding with his kids later in the afternoon.
New Englanders were advised to use caution shoveling the heavy snow which will take a toll on the body.
