In brief
On Wednesday, Messy winter weather formed in New England states, leading to numerous school closures and unsafe driving conditions. Although expected snow accumulations were low, the combination of rain and freezing temperatures created hazardous roadway conditions. With the National Weather Service predicting more winter storms, officials are cautioning residents about potential future disruptions as accumulated ice and frostiness continue to impact daily travel and safety.
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — Messy winter weather brought snow, ice, freezing rain and dangerous driving to the New England states on Wednesday as the region prepared for more unpleasant conditions later in the week.
The combination of rain, snow and slush blanketed the region, causing dozens of school districts to close for the day or begin on a delay. Snow accumulations were not expected to be high, but the road conditions made it unsafe to roll buses on Wednesday morning, districts said.
About a tenth of an inch of ice coated some areas — a little less than the amount that can cause power outages from falling tree limbs, but more than enough to create unsafe roads. Nonetheless, there were a few thousand power outages, mostly in Maine, with several hundred in Massachusetts.
“With icy conditions forecast during both the morning and afternoon bus routes, ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority,” said the administration of Maine Regional School Unit 21, based in Kennebunk, in a statement.
All six New England states were under National Weather Service winter weather advisories, and the service issued several hazardous weather outlook statements for northern areas that could be hit with winter storms in the coming days. The possibility of heavy rain followed by dropping temperatures could create treacherous driving conditions later in the week, the service said.
Highway authorities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported numerous accidents and vehicle spinouts in those states, though there were no serious injuries reported as of late Wednesday morning. At least five New England airports, including Logan International Airport in Boston, had aircraft being treated with deicing fluid for snow and ice.
In southern Maine, the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory despite the potential for only two inches of snow in some areas, said Jerry Combs, meteorologist with the service in Gray, Maine. And more hazardous weather could be on the way, as another system is expected to bring rain Friday night into Saturday, followed by the potential for snow Saturday into Sunday, he said.
The service typically holds off on issuing an advisory unless there is the potential for four inches of snow, but other kinds of messy weather necessitated it on Wednesday, Combs said.
“That was for the freezing rain and sleet and snow mixture,” he said. “That makes the road conditions that much worse.”
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Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
