REPORTS: Blizzard of 2015 Dumps Over Two Feet of Snow in Boston
ByJillian MacMath, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jan 29, 2015 2:20 AM EDT
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Updated Sep 21, 2015 8:51 PM EDT
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As of 11:15 p.m. EST Tuesday, this blog is no longer live. Archived reports from the storm can be found below.
The first blizzard of 2015 for the eastern United States continued to slam Long Island and New England into Tuesday, bringing many communities to a standstill.
The blizzard will unleash heavy snow amid winds past 35 mph. Visibility could be reduced to zero at times.
Areas in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut have recorded snow totals reaching up to 30 inches on Tuesday.
Ahead of the storm, travel bans and states of emergency were declared for numerous areas on Monday. While bans lifted for New York state at 8 a.m. Tuesday, many areas in New England are still facing impassable roads and dangerous conditions.
9:45 p.m. Tuesday:9:30 p.m. Tuesday:Over the next few hours, steady snow will continue to fall over parts of New Hampshire and western Maine, according to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist John Feerick.
"Most of the accumulating snow has wound down in southern New England, but we'll continue to see blowing and drifting snow," he said.
Blowing snow with winds still gusting past 35 mph will cause near zero visibility in many areas and blizzard conditions.
9:15 p.m. Tuesday:
More than 4,780 U.S. flights have been canceled, and an additional 1,448 have been delayed, according to FlightStats.
9:00 p.m. Tuesday:
"It's possible [Boston] sets an all time record, but the latest snow report indicates they're not there yet," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Andy Mussoline said, adding that the record high is 27.6 inches of snowfall.
8:30 p.m. Tuesday:
Big thanks to the R.I. National Guard, which rolled in with 18 Humvees and personnel today to help with the cleanup! pic.twitter.com/gpHb6T2MSM— RIDOT (@RIDOTNews) January 28, 2015
7:40 p.m. Tuesday: More than 17,500 NSTAR customers are without power across Massachusetts, according to the utility.
7:21 p.m. Tuesday:
[RECORD CHECK]: this appears to be the biggest January snowstorm on record for #Boston at 23.3" beating 22.5" in 2005 #Blizzardof2015— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 28, 2015
7:06 p.m. Tuesday:
6:50 p.m. Tuesday:
More than 4,750 U.S. flights canceled with an additional 1,291 delayed, according FlightStats
6:38 p.m. Tuesday: Roads are steadily improving in Rhode Island.
6:21 p.m. Tuesday: Airlines will resume operations tomorrow at Boston Logan International Airport. Work crews spent the day clearing snow as shown in the video below.
5:57 p.m. Tuesday: The travel ban in Massachusetts will be lifted at midnight, said Gov. Charlie Baker.
The travel ban will be lifted at midnight, but I urge the people of Massachusetts to stay off the roads unless they must travel.— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) January 27, 2015
5:30 p.m. Tuesday: Through 4:30 p.m., Providence, Rhode Island set a new daily snowfall record with 14.2 inches. The previous record of 6.7 inches was set in 2011. Worchester, Massachusetts also set a record with 28.4 inches of snow, breaking the record of 11 inches set in 2011.
4:38 p.m. Tuesday: Watch the 4 p.m. edition of AccuWeather LIVE
4:31 p.m. Tuesday: National Grid reports only 34 customers remain without power in Massachusetts while 18,910 NSTAR customers remain without power, the utility reports.
3:25 p.m. Tuesday: National Weather Service spotters report 32.5 inches of snow in Auburn, Massachusetts, 30 inches of snow in Westford, Massachusetts and 26 inches of snow in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
2:25 p.m. Tuesday: Maine Department of Transportation traffic camera showing whiteout conditions near Bangor, ME.
1:38 p.m. Tuesday:
Statewide travel ban will be lifted as of 2PM today. We still encourage all residents to limit travel and use common sense while driving.— Governor Dan Malloy (@GovMalloyOffice) January 27, 2015
1:13 p.m. Tuesday: While travel bans are still in place for Central and Eastern Massachusetts, officials have lifted some travel restrictions in other areas.
Update: Travel ban has been lifted for Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, & Hampden Counties. Pike access still entirely restricted.— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) January 27, 2015
12:41 p.m. Tuesday: In Middlesex County, Connecticut, nearly 20 inches of snow fell during the storm as of 12:39 p.m.
12:15 p.m. Tuesday: Route 3 in Montville, Maine, is blocked due to fallen trees and downed powerlines according to the Maine Department of Highways.
12:07 p.m. Tuesday: Framingham, Massachusetts, recorded 30 inches of snow as of 12 p.m. Tuesday. Atkinson, New Hampshire, also received more than two feet of snow, hitting the 26 inch mark. Waterford, Connecticut, topped 23 inches.
11:31 a.m. Tuesday: All National Grid customers in Nantucket, Massachusetts, are without power amid violent storm conditions. The company reported they are currently working to restore power to more than 12,800 in the area.
11:03 a.m. Tuesday:
Speed restrictions are still in place on NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Please follow signs and drive slow.— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) January 27, 2015
10:39 a.m. Tuesday: Coastal flooding has damaged areas along New England as ferocious winds battered shorelines. Police in Marshfield, Massachusetts, roughly 30 miles from Boston, reported a major seawall breach on Tuesday morning.
10:21 a.m. Tuesday: "Rounds of windswept snow will continue over much of southern and eastern New England through the day Tuesday with mountainous drifts in some areas. Travel remains dangerous in many areas. A couple of bursts of heavy snow can still occur farther to the west from New York City to Philadelphia into the afternoon," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
"Strong winds will continue to cause blowing and drifting snow in southern and eastern New England after the snow tapers off Tuesday night into Wednesday morning," he said.
10:08 a.m. Tuesday: In Worcester, Massachusetts, residents woke to more than 20 inches of snow burying vehicles on local streets.
9:51 a.m. Tuesday: More than 17,300 NSTAR customers are without power in Massachusetts as the storm continues to thrash New England.
9:07 a.m. Tuesday: Snow amounts have totaled near 24 inches in some areas according to the National Weather Service. As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, 23.5 inches was reported in Auburn, Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, West Gloucester hit 16.6 inches, and Marlborough, Connecticut, received 13.8 inches as of this morning.
8:02 a.m. Tuesday:
We are lifting all the travel bans on the roads at 8am. We're coordinating with neighboring states. http://t.co/xfDQQXNMY2— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 27, 2015
7:23 a.m. Tuesday: Up to 25 inches of snow have fallen in the greater Boston area.
6:47 a.m. Tuesday: More than 1,500 NSTAR customers are without power in Sandwich, Massachusetts, as the storm continues to unleash over New England.
5:38 a.m. Tuesday: Flooding continues in Massachusetts.
W1SEM-Sandwich EOC - Route 6A by Scorton Creek flooded and becoming impassable.— NWS Taunton Skywarn (@WX1BOX) January 27, 2015
5:33 a.m. Tuesday: More than 9,100 Massachusetts electric customers are without service at this hour, utilities report.
5:18 a.m. Tuesday: Mail delivery is canceled Tuesday from the New Jersey shore to Maine’s Down East region, affecting the cities of New York City; Boston; Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut; and Portland, Maine; the United States Postal Service said.
4:51 a.m. Tuesday: Worcester, Massachusetts, firefighters battled fire and blizzard conditions early Tuesday.
We are at high tide. Flooding @ Causeway (E. Squantum St), Willows Beach (804 Sea St), & Rockland Street areas. No outages reported!— Quincy Police (@quincymapolice) January 27, 2015
4:38 a.m. Tuesday:
#MAsnow crews working overnight. Crews total 3,522 currently. Roads are snow covered. Non-emergency travel ban in effect. Stay safe.— Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) January 27, 2015
4:33 a.m. Tuesday: Whiteout conditions with blowing and drifting snow on Route 3, Bedford, Massachusetts, 511MA webcam shows.
4:19 a.m. Tuesday: MesoWest reported, a 68-mph gust at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts.
4:12 a.m. Tuesday: One death reported in New York from the storm.
4:06 a.m. Tuesday: Heavy snow continues to fall in Boston with winds causing drifting snow and taking AccuWeather.com RealFeel® Temperatures down to -14 F.
4:03 a.m. Tuesday: More than 4,400 U.S. flights have been canceled Tuesday with another 200 already canceled for Wednesday, FlightStats reports.
3:51 a.m. Tuesday: At Islip Airport, New York, 14.7 inches of snow have fallen, a FAA contract observer reported; 10.8 inches of snow have fallen in Marlborough, Connecticut, a NWS spotter reported.
3:31 a.m. Tuesday: More than 5,400 Massachusetts electric customers, mostly in the National Grid service area, are without service at this hour, utilities report.
3:17 a.m. Tuesday: Blizzard conditions occurring in Islip, New York, with blowing snow and visibility at one-eighth of a mile. Picture below from 511NY webcam from I-495/Waverly Avenue. Islip broke its Jan. 26 snow record with 7.5 inches; the old record was 4.5 inches set in 1987.
3:11 a.m. Tuesday: Infrared image from the GOES satellite showing the blizzard off the New England coast. (Photo/NOAA).
2:51 a.m. Tuesday: More than 1,700 Massachusetts electric customers are without service, utilities report.
2:44 a.m. Tuesday: Up to 3-foot snow drifts reported in Massachusetts.
Due to weather reports, the SDP will be closed for students & staff on Tuesday, January 27. #SnowDay— Philadelphia Schools (@PhillyEducation) January 27, 2015
10:27 p.m. Monday: Currently, the road conditions on the Massachusetts Turnpike are poor, Massachusetts State Police reported on their website. All barracks are dealing with spin-outs and cars off the road. No injuries have been reported. The speed limit is 40 mph. A travel ban takes effect at midnight Tuesday in Massachusetts.
10:10 p.m. Monday: Transit in New Jersey shuts down for the blizzard.
All NJT service (rail, light rail & bus) is now suspended. Trains will continue to run to keep tracks & wires clear of snow/ice #NJTWinter— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) January 27, 2015
Bus, Light Rail & Access Link will resume when conditions permit. Rail will resume when conditions permit & federal inspection are complete— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) January 27, 2015
10:03 p.m. Monday: Snow rates could surpass 2 inches per hour in Long Island from a band of heavy snow, AccuWeather.com Meterorologist Brian Lada said.
Snowfall totals: Nantucket, MA 3.5 in; T.F. Green Airport 1.2 in; Logan Airport 0.4; Bradley Airport 0.5 in; Wakefield, MA 1.5 in— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 27, 2015
7:13 p.m. Monday: Over the next couple of hours, the intense blizzard will spread over most of southeastern New England and the eastern half of Long Island with wind gusts as high as 40 mph, reduced visibility down to a quarter of a mile and heavy snow of about 2 inches per hour, according to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Jack Boston.
During the rest of the night, AccuWeather.com meteorologists expect the storm to continue to spread along the rest of Long Island, New York City; Hartford, Connecticut; and Worcester and Boston; Massachusetts, right through the first half of the day tomorrow, he added.
6:58 p.m. Monday:
#MAsnow crews now total 1,336 treating roadways. State roads wet to snow-covered. Travel ban effective at Midnight. http://t.co/nddzXEGHIW— Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) January 26, 2015
6:46 p.m. Monday: Watch the 6 p.m. edition of AccuWeather LIVE.
6:11 p.m. Monday: The National Weather Service in New York City reports 4.3 inches of snow so far in Central Park.
On the Long Island Expressway trying to get back to the city. Moving at 5 mph. Snow piling up and road not plowed. pic.twitter.com/x33J3qAtj0— Dave (@Dave_in_718) January 26, 2015
4:57 p.m. Monday: The Rhode Island State Police have announced a travel ban that will go in effect at midnight.
Travel ban will go into effect tonight at midnight.— RI State Police (@RIStatePolice) January 26, 2015
Expect bridges to also be closed during the height of the storm.— RI State Police (@RIStatePolice) January 26, 2015
4:50 p.m. Monday: AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Bernie Rayno details the latest on the blizzard.
4:30 p.m. Monday: More than 2,600 flights delayed, with over 2,400 canceled, FlightStats reports. Over 300 cancellations at JFK International Airport, with 407 cancellations reported at LaGuardia Airport.
3:56 p.m. Monday:
#Blizzardof2015: A state of emergency has been declared for all 5 boroughs of New York City. Avoid travel.— NYSDOT New York City (@NYSDOT_NYC) January 26, 2015
3:06 p.m. Monday: Boston is now expected to receive more than 2 feet of snow from the blizzard.
3:00 p.m. Monday:
Gov. Wolf today signed a disaster emergency proclamation to enable authorities to respond as quickly as possible to snow conditions. #PAgov— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) January 26, 2015
2:54 p.m. Monday:
#BPDSafetyAlert: Snow Emergency in effect in Boston as of 6:00pm. Best advice: Stay home, stay warm, stay off the roads.— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) January 26, 2015
#BPDSafetyAlert: No school in Boston tomorrow (Tuesday) and the next day (Wednesday).— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) January 26, 2015
2:52 p.m. Monday: Watch the latest edition of AccuWeather LIVE:
2:21 p.m. Monday: All New York City Public Schools will be closed on Jan. 27, 2015.
2:10 p.m. Monday: To assist those leaving early from work due to winter weather, 26 trains have been added to New York's Long Island Railroad and Metro-North schedules this afternoon. According to an MTA service advisory, "Bus, commuter-rail, and subway service could be curtailed on a route-by-route basis, depending on conditions and snow-removal operations."
1:39 p.m. Monday: The NBA has postponed the New York Knicks' and Brooklyn Nets' home games scheduled for Monday night in anticipation of the winter weather.
1:01 p.m. Monday: The New York Stock Exchange has vowed to remain open Monday and Tuesday despite the storm:
12:54 p.m. Monday:Newark Liberty International Airport tops the list for flight cancellations today, with more than 770 arriving and departing flights canceled amid snowstorm.
12:51 p.m. Monday: All Massachusetts Bay Public Transport will be canceled Tuesday:
12:40 p.m. Monday: The Massachusetts Emergency Management agency has declared a State of Emergency effective Monday in preparation for the blizzard. Additionally, a statewide travel ban will go into effect at midnight on Tuesday:
From @MassEMA, announcing a state of emergency effective now & a statewide travel ban starting at midnight in preparation for the blizzard.— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) Jan. 26, 2015
12:30 p.m. Monday: According to a press release, Governor Dannel P. Malloy has declared a State of Emergency for Connecticut in preparation for the coming blizzard, which is anticipated to heavily impact the state tonight through Tuesday. In addition, the governor announced that a travel ban for all roads is in effect beginning at 9:00 p.m. tonight.
