Ice and snow close schools across New England as more storms approach

The winter mix posed risks beyond typical snowfall — roughly a tenth of an inch of ice coated some areas, enough to endanger roads and knock out power for thousands of customers — as forecasters warned additional storms could bring heavy rain followed by dropping temperatures later in the week.

Winter storms swept snow, ice and freezing rain across all six New England states on Wednesday, forcing dozens of school districts to cancel classes or delay start times while highway authorities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported numerous accidents and vehicle spinouts. No serious injuries had been reported as of late Wednesday morning, the Associated Press reported.

The winter mix posed risks beyond typical snowfall. About a tenth of an inch of ice coated some areas — just below the amount typically associated with power outages from falling tree limbs, but enough to make roads treacherous. Several thousand power outages were recorded, mostly in Maine, with several hundred in Massachusetts.

Snow accumulations were not expected to be high, but road conditions made it unsafe to operate school buses, district officials said.

“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.

At least five New England airports, including Logan International Airport in Boston, had aircraft treated with deicing fluid for snow and ice.

All six New England states were under National Weather Service winter weather advisories on Wednesday. The service also issued hazardous weather outlooks for northern areas facing additional storm systems in the coming days.

In southern Maine, the weather service issued a winter weather advisory despite the potential for only two inches of snow in some areas, said Jerry Combs, a meteorologist with the service in Gray, Maine. The service typically holds off on issuing advisories unless there is the potential for four inches of snow, Combs said, but the combination of conditions warranted the alert.

“That was for the freezing rain and sleet and snow mixture,” Combs said. “That makes the road conditions that much worse.”

Another system is expected to bring rain Friday night into Saturday, followed by the potential for snow Saturday into Sunday, Combs said. The possibility of heavy rain followed by dropping temperatures could create treacherous driving conditions later in the week, the weather service said.