Historic October Snowstorm Still Crushing New England

By , Meteorologist
Oct 30, 2011; 6:18 AM ET
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A historic October snowstorm is still crushing New England with heavy snow and howling winds before cruising away into Atlantic Canada.

Snow amounts have already topped two feet across portions of New England, while record-shattering snow hammered the major Northeast cities from Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to New York City and Hartford, Ct.

An additional 3-6 inches of snow will thump across portions of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, as the potent nor'easter races along. Heavy snow rates of 1-2 inches an hour will be found in this zone with thunder snow a possibility. Bangor, Maine, is included in this zone.

For more details on specific snow amounts, consult the AccuWeather.com Winter Weather Center.

Strong winds blasting the New England at 50 mph and higher will cause blowing and drifting of snow, adding to hazardous travel conditions. Along the coast, gusts close to 70 mph will rage.

More trees can come crashing down under the weight of the hefty, wet snowfall, especially with the additional stress from the high winds. In fact, wind could continue to cause delays in New York City and Philadelphia as well.

Photo of heavy snow in Stamford, Ct., on Saturday Oct. 29, 2011 submitted by AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Rick A.

***Power was knocked out for more than 2.3 million customers from Maryland to Maine, according to the Associated Press.***

***States of emergency have been declared in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and parts of New York state.***

***At least three lives have been claimed by the historic snowstorm. One of the deaths was an 84-year-old man. He died when a tree crashed into his home, while he was sleeping in his recliner. Springfield, Mass., Police report that a 20-year-old man was electrocuted to death by downed live wires that succumbed to the weight of heavy, wet snow.***

While snow will taper off in Boston, there could still be tricky travel on the ground due to the wind and fallen trees. Flight delays are likely due to the lashing winds.

Roads even farther south were icy early Sunday morning. A 30-car crash on I-95 north of Philadelphia that killed at least two people has been blamed on icy roadway conditions.

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WeatherWhys®

Avalanches are caused by a number of factors. Thick layers of snow and ice of varying intensity along a mountainside are weakened by the force of gravity and changing weather conditions. At some point, this large mass of snow is released down the mountain in a form of an avalanche.

This Day In Weather History

New England (1802)
Great snowstorm raged over New England. 4 foot depths piled up north of Boston, three large Indiamen wrecked on Cape Cod.

S.W. Ohio (1962)
Severe glaze storm: Ice 1" thick, $1 million property damage.

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