Central Massachusetts prepares for March nor'easter
LEOMINSTER - Bethany Dillon had a hunch, so she stopped at a gas station Monday to fill up a few jugs for her generator at home in Holden. "We bought it because we have kids at home, and the dogs, and just didn't want to be left in the cold," Dillon said.
It's that fickle time of year in New England. And it can be especially tough in communities northwest of Boston, known as a 'Nor'easter snowbelt'.
The community sand pile in Leominster was a popular spot as evening arrived and Martin Silva was among those filling a bucket to go. "I already got gas for my snowblower, I'm getting sand now, so we'll see," Silva said. "At least I'll be ready."
In neighboring Lancaster, an emergency tree crew from Pennsylvania was trimming branches that could snap under the weight of the heavy, wet snow and fall onto power lines.
"You got snowfall rates that could exceed an inch, an inch and a half an hour," said Worcester DPW Commissioner Jay Fink. "That's a lot of snow that's coming down."
In Worcester, the intensity, weight, and duration of the coming snow was clearly a concern and pre-treating the roads was not an option.
"Unfortunately, with the amount of rain that is going to be coming down it's going to wash it away so we're starting at ground zero once we get out there," Fink said.
The DPW chief expects the changeover to snow just before dawn and is staggering his work force to cover 480 miles of road through Tuesday night.
Tractor Supply Co. in Leominster has run out of standard snow shovels, but the store is all stocked up on spring inventory like saplings with buds on the verge of popping. "They're getting started," said manager Trent McShea.
Employees had to bring them inside to protect them from the expected snow. "It's a little too cold right now for them, so they're all inside where they're safe," he said.
Walmart in Leominster was crowded with people stocking up Monday. "Popcorn, pretzels, chips," said Sheila Dunn unloading her cart.
Utility crews spent the day gassing up trucks and organizing fleets of repair crews. "When we see that wet heavy snow, it's very pasty and oatmealy. It sticks to everything, and that's the kind of snow that has the potential to stick to otherwise healthy trees and bring them down," said Alec O'Meara, a spokesperson for Unitil.
He said the most important thing people can do to prepare is make sure mobile devices are fully charged. People will need them to report to utilities if they lose power, to call 911 if they spot live wires, and to check various websites for important updates.