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Heavy rain for Boston area, snow further west and north in first major winter storm

CBS News Boston Live

A multi-faceted, long-duration, coastal storm will envelope New England through early Saturday. While the snow won't be the main story in southern New England, the heavy rain and wind will make this a very impactful storm for the entire region.  

Ski country will get plenty of snow in time for the holidays, with a small amount of snow coating the Boston area Saturday morning.

WATCH: Latest WBZ NEXT Weather forecast 

CHECK: Latest School Closings 

VIEW: Real-time radar

 

Thousands of people without power in New Hampshire

The storm left more than 50,000 people in New Hampshire without power as of 7 a.m. on Saturday. 

Crews said they will spend the day working to clear roads and restore power. 

Customers without power for 24 hours should call their service providers. 

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Rain soaks Eastern Mass.

The storm brought drenching rain to the Boston area. WBZ-TV's Kristina Rex reports. 

Heavy rains soak Eastern Massachusetts 02:29
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Heavy snow in Central Mass.

Heavy snow blanketed parts of Central Massachusetts Friday. WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports from Ashby.

Heavy snow blankets parts of Central Mass. 02:28
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Winter Weather Advisory extended

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Updated snow totals

Rowe, MA 13.0 in
Plainfield, MA 12.0 in
Chester, MA 12.0 in
Hawley, MA 9.0 in
Goshen, MA 7.0 in
Fitchburg, MA 7.0 in
Ashby, MA 6.5 in
Ashfield, MA 6.0 in
Ashburnham, MA 6.0 in
Huntington, MA 6.0 in
Gardner, MA 5.7 in
Winchendon, MA 5.0 in       

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Storm leaves some flights delayed at Logan Airport

Almost 100 flights were delayed out of Logan airport on Friday morning. But travelers who spoke to WBZ-TV actually expected conditions to be worse.

Almost 100 flights were delayed out of Logan airport on Friday morning 01:46
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Dozens of crashes reported in New Hampshire

New Hampshire State Police are urging people to be careful if they have to hit the roads on Friday. Troopers responded to 47 crashes and cars off the road between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.

"Leave yourself extra time to get to your destination; if possible, stay home and wait until the weather improves," State Police said.

They also reminded drivers to make sure to clean the snow and ice off their car before traveling. 

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Cars off the road during Friday's storm. New Hampshire State Police
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Snowing in Winchendon

By Jacob Wycoff
 

Expected Snow Totals

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WBZ TV Graphic CBS Boston
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WBZ TV graphic. CBS Boston
 

"Salt is going to be pretty effective"

"The further west you go, the more difficult it's going to get," MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said about driving during Friday's storm. 

Since pavement temperatures are higher than what they'd be during the middle of winter, Gulliver also said "salt is going to be pretty effective." 

"Salt is going to be pretty effective": Jonathan Gulliver discusses road conditions 02:10
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Preparing for the winter storm

Winter weather is expected in parts of central and western Massachusetts. Public works crews and ski resorts in New England are bracing for what is to come.   

Communities prepare for winter storm 02:28
By WBZ-News Staff
 

School closings in Massachusetts, Southern NH

Check the latest school closings here

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Storm Timeline

By Terry Eliasen, WBZ Weather Executive Producer

The rain and snow overspread the entire area by dawn Friday. 

During the day Friday, the rain will come down heavy at times for most of the region. There will be some localized flooding and ponding on the roadways. We expect 1-to-2 inches of water (on average) with the potential of up to 3 inches.

Snow will continue falling in northern Worcester County, southwestern New Hampshire, and the Berkshires.  

The winds will get real gusty out of the east during the day Friday. At the coastline, where there is a wind advisory, we could see gusts close to 50 miles per hour. The rest of the area will be gusting closer 20-to-40 mph during the day and evening.

By Friday night, some colder air will start getting drawn in and the rain will change to a wet snow from west to east. Expect several hours of light to moderate snow early Saturday morning, with light accumulation for areas like Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties.

READ: Detailed WBZ NEXT Weather storm update

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