Blizzard Warning Remains in Effect Monday Morning

Updated at 9:35 a.m. with information from the North Reading Police Department.

A blizzard warning remains in effect for Eastern Massachusetts, including North Reading, until noon today, and public safety officials are urging residents to stay off the roads as a nor'easter dumps more than a foot of snow across the region.

Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency Sunday and ordered all non-essential state employees to remain home Monday. Patrick urged private-sector employers to follow the same course of action.

North Reading residents appeared to have heeded that advice. Only four accidents were reported between noon Sunday and Monday morning, according to .

Capt. Joseph Marotta of the said no major incidents have been reported due to the storm as of Monday morning.

The storm . North Reading Public Schools are on vacation this week.

The National Weather Service expects dangerous travel conditions this morning, with strong winds and snow reducing visibility to a quarter-mile or less at times.

Winds will continue to remain between 25 mph and 35 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, the weather service said.

A blizzard is a storm with winds of 35 mph or more for three or more hours, with visibility of a quarter-mile or less, the weather service said.

The National Weather Service warned against travel during the storm, which is expected to pull away from the area Monday afternoon. The weather service also advised people with heart conditions or other health problems to avoid shoveling heavy snow.

Power outages also are possible during the storm as a result of both high winds and heavy snow, the weather service said. According to Reading Municipal Light Department, no power outages were reported in North Reading overnight.

North Reading has 25 pieces of snow-removal equipment,  Director Richard Carnevale said. For larger storms, the town also hires contractors, Carnevale said.

The storm that caught parts of Eastern Massachusetts by surprise last Monday afternoon gave North Reading its first test, Carnevale said last week.

"We test out all the equipment and get the bugs out," Carnevale said. "For the most part, it worked out well."

Help North Reading Patch with its coverage of the Christmas weekend nor'easter. Send us your storm photos, snowfall amounts and reports of any incidents or impassable roads. E-mail matthew.bashalany@patch.com.