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December 20, 2024
First nor'easter of the season could turn into a 'bomb cyclone' in New England

First nor’easter of the season could turn into a ‘bomb cyclone’ in New England

“A lot of the storms’ precipitation initially fell as heavy rain but it quickly changed to snow once the cold air ushered in behind it. Strong winds accompanied the heavy, wet snow that fell,” CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam said. “Not an ideal situation considering the treacherous conditions that have been left in the storms’ wake.”

The impacts were felt from Massachusetts to Maine. Shapleigh, Maine, and Derry, New Hampshire, saw around 8 inches of snow while Paxton, Massachusetts, received 12.5 inches. Among the three states, more than 280,000 people were without power early Sunday morning, according to PowerOutage.US.

“This nor’easter was a significant snow, wind and rain event but could have been debilitating if temperatures were just a few degrees cooler at the start of the storm,” Van Dam said.

Precipitation around Boston was winding down as the season’s first nor’easter turned towards Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Van Dam said, bringing rain and winds with gusts up to 50 mph.

Travel is not advised

The region is now navigating “treacherous roads and widespread power outages,” the National Weather Service in Portland/Gray Maine said on Twitter Saturday night.

The NWS warned against traveling by the late afternoon Saturday as blowing snow and gusty winds could reduce visibility greatly.

The service reiterated the point later in the day, warning New England residents not to crowd snow plows moving through the area “or better yet, stay home altogether.”

Power lines can also pose danger, NWS tweeted.

“Very Important Reminder from @versantpower this morning. ‘Never touch a downed power line or a tree in contact with a downed line. Motorists are urged to slow down or move over and change lanes, when possible, if approaching utility crews working on roadways,” the tweet said.

Crews will be working to address the damage from the storm, beginning with downed electrical lines and then beginning restoration efforts, Versant Power tweeted.