The late-winter storm that dumped heavy, wet snow in parts of the northeast is expected to rapidly strengthen into a nor’easter today.
The forecast is calling for six to 18 inches of snow across more than seven states, from northeast Pennsylvania and far northwest New Jersey through much of New York and New England, according to the New York Times.
That precipitation, combined with strong winds, could flood coastal communities, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the region was under a winter storm warning or winter weather advisory as of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and airports around the region were already reporting issues.
According to power outage tracker PowerOutage.US, more than 87,000 customers are without power in New York, nearly 62,000 were impacted in Massachusetts, over 69,000 were powerless in New Hampshire and roughly 31,500 were affected in Vermont, as of 1:00 p.m. EDT.
New York issued a state of emergency starting on Monday night, bringing 100 National Guard members in to assist with the response to the storm. Some schools in the region canceled classes and Maine Gov. Janet Mills directed that all state offices be closed on Tuesday., reports FOX News.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all executive branch state office buildings closed. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey directed all non-emergency state employees working in executive branch agencies not to report to their workplaces and to work from home if possible.
By early Tuesday, the brunt of the storm appeared to be affecting northwest Massachusetts, where 28 inches of snow had been recorded in Windsor, according to the National Weather Service. In Pittsfield, Mass., southwest of Windsor, the police said there were downed power lines and felled trees throughout the area.
“If you don’t have to drive, can you please do us all a favor and not go out on the roads,” the Pittsfield Police Department said on Facebook. “We have wires down everywhere. We have trees down everywhere, and it’s not going to get any better.”
