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 storm’s mix of rain, snow and slush blanketed the area, leading dozens of school districts to close for the day or begin on a delay. Districts said the road conditions made it unsafe to run buses on Wednesday morning.
Snow accumulations were not expected to be high, but officials focused on the hazards from slick surfaces. About a tenth of an inch of ice coated some areas, enough to create unsafe roads even as it was described as less than the amount that can cause power outages from falling tree limbs. The report said there were several thousand power outages, mostly in Maine, with several hundred in Massachusetts.
One example was Maine Regional School Unit 21, based in Kennebunk. “With icy conditions forecast during both the morning and afternoon bus routes, ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority,” the administration said in a statement.
All six New England states were under National Weather Service winter weather advisories, and the agency issued hazardous weather outlook statements for northern areas that could be hit by winter storms in the coming days. The service also said the possibility of heavy rain followed by dropping temperatures could create treacherous driving conditions later in the week.
Highway authorities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported numerous accidents and vehicle spinouts. As of late Wednesday morning, the report said there were no serious injuries.
Travel disruptions extended beyond roads. 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 even though some areas could see only about two inches of snow, according to Jerry Combs, a meteorologist with the service in Gray, Maine. Combs said the agency typically holds off on issuing an advisory unless there is potential for four inches of snow, but other kinds of messy weather needed attention. “That was for the freezing rain and sleet and snow mixture,” he said, adding: “That makes the road conditions that much worse.”
Combs also said another system was expected to bring rain Friday night into Saturday, followed by potential for snow Saturday into Sunday.
Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.