With a blast of winter weather expected before Thanksgiving, public officials, businesses, utilities and residents in New England are preparing for a messy day of travel.

Hoping to avoid snow-covered roads Wednesday, many headed out Tuesday, creating traffic nightmares. At one point, Massachusetts State Police say there was a 60-mile backup stretching all the way from Rte 128 to I-84 in Sturbridge.

Shelia Dingle of Boston got stuck in the mess on the Pike.

"I had to go pick up my car from Framingham. It took me, from Boston to Framingham, an hour and a half. It should have been a 30-minute stop," said Dingle. "I said, 'Oh my God, I don't believe this.'"

Things were so slowed down, NECN interviewed people while they were at a complete stop at the Weston toll plaza.

Asked how they were doing, a group of young men stopped at the plaza responded, "Not very good, not very good."

"It's crazy. There's so much traffic," said anotehr woman. "It took me two hours to get from Lynn here."

Several major airlines waived their fees for ticket changes Tuesday to accommodate passengers.

Also Tuesday, NStar announced that it was prepared for any potential outages that occur due to the inclement weather.

"We prepare year-round for storms like this and stand ready to address any damage to our system," said NStar Electric President Craig Hallstrom in a statement.

Meanwhile, with heavy traffic expected on roadways for holiday travel, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation urged drivers to avoid peak travel times Wednesday.

The Steamship Authority announced that it anticipates disruptions in its service Wednesday afternoon and evening. The organization has set up a page to view updated conditions here.

Click here to see your latest weather forecast. You can find weather emergency resources here.