© 2024 Maine Public | Registered 501(c)(3) EIN: 22-3171529
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scroll down to see all available streams.

Massive Storm With Heavy Snow, High Winds Bears Down on Maine

Michael Dwyer
/
Associated Press
People in Boston struggle to walk in the blowing snow during Tuesday's nor'easter.

BANGOR, Maine — Maine is virtually shut down as a massive nor'easter bearing heavy snow and high winds spreads across the state.

But the nor'easter that's bringing late-winter misery to northern New England is tracking a bit more westward than originally expected.
 
Meteorologist Andy Pohl from the National Weather Service says that means there could be a mix of sleet and freezing rain on the New Hampshire and southern Maine coast. He says that also could mean some 30-inch totals in the far northern parts of New Hampshire and Vermont.
 

Credit Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press
/
Associated Press
Pond hockey players in Yarmouth, Maine, attempt to shovel snow faster than it can fall during Tuesday's storm.

The storm has prompted a rare blizzard warning in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and all three states are expecting snow totals of a foot to 20 inches, for the most part.
 
Many residents have heeded the call to stay home. There have been some highway accidents but traffic has been light. Hundreds of schools and businesses are closed.

In New Hampshire, a number of towns have rescheduled local elections as the snow piles up, but some have stayed open, on schedule.
 
In Durham, Town Administrator Todd Selig recommended that residents “make every effort” to vote early, as the storm was expected to get worse Tuesday afternoon. He said residents who are uncomfortable with driving in the snow could call police for a ride.
 
Selig said the decision to proceed with voting was made after much consideration and discussion among the moderator, town clerk, and others.
 
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu on Monday strongly recommended that town elections be held, but that given differing opinions, the state isn't in a position to mandate that the towns stay open.
 
Sununu's town, Newfields, postponed its elections until Tuesday, March 21, saying the safety of voters and election workers is “paramount.”
 
In southern New Jersey, parts of Atlantic City and other towns  are dealing with tidal flooding from the nor'easter.
 
A homeowner posted video on Twitter of water streaming down the block, and one major roadway was closed because of the flooding.
 
The tide reached 7.8 feet in Atlantic City on Tuesday morning, just short of the 8-foot threshold that can lead to major flooding.
 
More than 35,000 customers are without power in New Jersey because of the storm. More than 100,000 customers in other states stretching down to Virginia also are without electricity.
 
In Connecticut, the winter storm hitting the Northeast is forecast to dump as much as 2 feet of snow on parts of the state, with possibly more in higher elevations.

Meanwhile, New York City is expected to get less snow than forecast.
 
Snow changed over to pelting sleet in the city early Tuesday, and the National Weather Service says to expect 4 to 6 inches of snow, after earlier forecasts of 18 inches or more.

In western Massachusetts, the National Weather Service forecast as much as 2-and-a-half feet of snow.
 
Maryland State Police said troopers responded to 101 crashes, none serious.
          
Throughout the region, thousands of airline flights have been cancelled due to the storm.