Winter Storm Causes Travel Problems, Power Outages In Mass., NH
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents were sloshing their way through a messy winter storm that descended on the region on the day many people take to the highways for Thanksgiving travel.
The first major winter storm of the season brought a sloppy mixture of rain, sleet and snow and leading to tens of thousands of power outages.
It could be a candlelit Thanksgiving dinner for many New Hampshire residents. As of 11 p.m. Wednesday night, nearly 170,000 New Hampshire residents were without power. Massachusetts had about 20,000 power outages.
While areas to the south of Boston and Cape Cod were expected to get just rain, an inch to three inches of snow was forecast for the Boston area.
The storm grounded hundreds of flights, turning highways hazardous along the congested Washington-to-Boston corridor.
WBZ-TV's Kate Merrill reports from Newton
Drivers who waited until the last minute were not feeling very thankful. Catherine Grullon lives in Plymouth, but getting home for the Holiday is harder than it looks. "It's a nightmare, a bad holiday nightmare," she said.
She stopped in Newton to clean off her car, covered in snow and sleet and she just wants to get home. "It's a huge mess as you can see. It's hard to get where you need to get when driving is this bad," she said.
WBZ-TV's Katie Brace reports from Fitchburg
It's a slushy mix and Mike White says he can't wait to get home. "Cars drive by and cover your whole window, it's pretty bad," White said.
At the MassDOT Highway operations Center, they have cameras on most major roads to watch the action. There is snow in Bolton, and lots of slush in Boston. But officials say drivers Wednesday should be thankful.
Frank DePaola, Acting Secretary of MassDOT says, "We are pleased people took our travel advice and so travel is lighter, so we thank the public for that."
Forecasters predicted that central and western Massachusetts could get eight to 10 inches.
Check: Interactive Radar | Weather Blog | Current Conditions | Share Photos | Snow Totals
The potential for heavy snow prompted some high schools to reschedule the traditional Thanksgiving morning football games.
WBZ-TV's Kate Merrill contributed to this report.
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