UPDATED -- Blizzard 2015 Storm Coverage: What You Need to Know About This Potentially Historic Snowstorm

Travel Ban Still in Place for Eastern Mass, Turnpike

UPDATED at 12:46 p.m. Tuesday:

Gov. Charlie Baker said the travel ban remains in place across Eastern Massachusetts and on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Baker announced at noon that Western Massachusetts counties are no longer under the travel ban except for the Mass Pike.

Baker said parts of Eastern Massachusetts are seeing snowfall rates at the moment that are similar to when the storm first hit overnight. Parts of Eastern and Southern Massachusetts may still get another 5-10 inches of snow and could face white-out conditions.

The governor also said some snow drifts are as tall as six feet in Eastern Massachusetts.

The travel ban stays in place across Eastern Massachusetts for now, but he hopes to have more information by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

There have been “several instances” of drivers being cited for violating the ban, including a truck driver whose tractor-trailer jack-knifed on I-91.

Baker added that he expects the MBTA will not be in service at all on Tuesday.

The governor said there has been widespread moderate coastal flooding and some isolated major flooding. A seawall in Marshield was breached and “took out” an unoccupied house, said Baker.

The governor expects things to return to normal on Wednesday though he acknowledged it will be a slow start in the morning.

“This is clearly a very big storm for Massachusetts. I’m glad we had a little bit of advanced warning to plan for it,” he said.

Baker asked for residents to check on their neighbors when they can.

He said people with transportation questions can call 511.

Those with shelter questions can call 211.

Power Out on Nantucket, Shelters Open Across the State

UPDATED: 8:45 a.m.: All of Nantucket has lost power. National Grid and Nantucket officials are working to restore power as quickly as possible, according to Nantucket police.

Governor Baker has announced there are 77 shelters open across the state with the capacity to hold 8,500 people. For information dial 211.

Governor’s Update on the Storm

UPDATED: 8:30 a.m. Tuesday - At a press conference Tuesday morning, Gov. Charlie Baker updated the public on the status of the storm. The governor called Monday night a “relatively incident-free night” despite parts of Massachusetts getting pummeled with two feet of snow.

Some important information from Baker’s press conference:

• Though snow will continue to fall throughout most of the day, the governor said the state may not see the three feet predictions that were feared. (On hearing the governor give this statement, local weather forecasters took to Twitter to say that another foot and a half of snow may fall through the day on Tuesday. The storm has a long way to go, they said.)

• Baker said power outages have not been as severe as feared.

• Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth has been shut down as a precaution and after a power loss.

• The travel ban remains in place. It is working and will remain for now. Baker said he may have more information at a noon press conference.

• There are about 200 people in shelters because of the storm. There were evacuations along the south coast, including Marshfield, Scituate and Hull.

• People should spend time this morning digging out fire hydrants, sidewalks and vents. The snow will stop eventually, he said.

• State emergency management officials are feeling positive and more optimistic on Tuesday morning.

*****

Monday, Jan. 26:

12:15 p.m. - Governor Declares State Emergency, Travel Ban in Effect, MBTA Closed Tuesday

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has declared a state of emergency and a travel ban ahead of Monday night’s storm. A statewide travel ban is in effect starting at midnight Monday into Tuesday. The MBTA will also be closed on Tuesday, Baker says.

Baker has also called up 500 National Guard troops to help with the storm.

10:55 a.m. - Monday: State Police Are Ready for the Storm

The Massachusetts State Police have announced they are ready for storm operations and have undertaken the following measures to prepare:

1. Specialized equipment to assist in traversing areas with deep snow or flooding has been prepositioned in key locations, including:

• Marine Unit boats/personnel moved to Troop A in northeastern Massachusetts and Troop D in southeastern Massachusetts.
• Specialized tracked vehicles capable of evacuating residents moved to Troop A and D, with one held back at General Headquarters in Framingham for deployment elsewhere if necessary.
• One of the department’s mobile Command Post buses will be moved onto Joint Base Cape Cod to assist with coordinating storm response on the Cape and Islands.
• Heavy trucks capable of traversing adverse conditions are being moved to locations around the state.

2. Commanders of each of the five geographic Troops, as well as commanders of the two Troops serving Logan Airport/Worcester Airport/Boston Seaport and the Massachusetts Turnpike, will continually assess weather, road conditions, and hazardous situations. They are prepared, if necessary, to hold troopers over at the end of their regular shifts, or call troopers in early prior to the start of their regular shifts, to maximize road patrols and emergency response capability.

3. The State Police Field Services Division, which encompasses all road patrols, will be supplemented by troopers from the other divisions (Investigative Services, Standards and Training, and Administrative Services). These supplementary troopers will perform patrol and rescue response duties for the duration of the storm. As well, within Field Services, troopers assigned to specialized and tactical units will also supplement regular road patrols.

4. The State Police Communications Section, which runs several emergency call-centers and public safety answering points throughout the state and accepts most cellular phone 911 calls, will be at maximum staffing, prepared to answer thousands of calls. Once calls are answered, they are either connected to the appropriate barracks for dispatch of MSP units or connected to the city or town police/fire department of jurisdiction. Using past major storms as a guide, MSP call-takers will field several thousand calls during this event.

5. State Police commanders continue to coordinate closely with counterparts at the Massachusetts emergency Management Agency, the Massachusetts National Guard, and other partner agencies to provide a comprehensive response to maximize the safety of the state’s citizens.

6. State Police Media Relations will alert the public to significant developments or emerging hazards through its communication with the state’s media outlets, as well as through the department’s social media platforms, including @MassStatePolice on Twitter and Facebook.com/MassStatePolice. Alerts will also be sent to subscribers to the MSP’s smartphone application, which can be found by searching applications for Mass SP.

9:47 a.m. - Logan Canceling Flights Monday Night

No flights will depart from Logan Airport after 7 p.m. Monday, according to Massport. The announcement came just after 9:30 a.m. Monday morning. Blizzard conditions are expected from early Tuesday morning into Wednesday, which will mean huge delays for airlines.

As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, only 12 flights from Logan were listed as delayed, but that number will climb soon.

The blizzard will impact not only the northeast US, but will send ripples of flight delays and cancellations across the country.

Original article posted at 8:04 a.m. Monday below:

What You Need to Know about the Storm and Important Links:

Residents have been lucky so far this season when it comes to snow, but that’s all changing starting today. A blizzard of potentially historic proportions is set to settle into the area later today through Wednesday morning, dumping 24 to 36 inches of snow across the area.

A blizzard warning is in effect for all of Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Seacoast of New Hampshire from 7 p.m. Monday night through 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, for a storm meteorologists say could be one for the record books.

Supermarkets were packed Sunday as residents, just shoveled out from Saturday’s storm, prepared for this large swath of snow heading our way. Some chains throughout the area extended their hours to accommodate the large crowds of shoppers trying to prepare for the storm.

Patch will keep you updated throughout the course of the storm as it progresses, along with school and business closures due to the storm.

The current forecast as of Monday morning says much of the area is expected to see snowfall totals ranging from 24 to 36 inches.

The National Weather Service said Monday morning that accumulating snow is expected to arrive Monday afternoon and will impact the late day commute across Rhode Island and Eastern Massachusetts. Heavy snow will start later Monday night into Tuesday morning with historical snowfall possible before the storm pulls away, which right now could be either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The Cape and Islands will likely also be enduring hurricane force winds Monday night into Tuesday morning.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said Massachusetts should expect snow to be measured in feet throughout the storm’s duration with damaging winds and serious coastal flooding. Heavy wet snow is expected in southeast Massachusetts, east of I-95, where temperatures are expected to near 32 degrees making for wet, heavy snow. Elsewhere in the state, colder temperatures in the teens and 20s will lead to more fluffier snow.

Wind gusts throughout the region could also wreak havoc and lead to downed trees and power lines, which could cause power outages.

The Timing of the Storm

• Light snow will begin during the late afternoon commute Monday with 1 to 2 inches in Boston, Worcester and Springfield.

• A forecasted 12 to 18 inches will fall in a 9-hour period from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, falling at a rate of 2 or more inches per hour.

• Thunderstorms will also occur in this time window.

• Snow, with varying intensities will continue through Tuesday night, lasting until daybreak Wednesday morning, which could potentially bring an additional 10 inches of snow in areas.

Current Snowfall Totals Expected

• 20 inches across the state of Massachusetts
• Some areas will see 30+ inches
• Cape and Martha’s Vineyard will see 12+ inches

Cities and towns across the state are preparing for the storm. Be sure to check your individual city or town for information on parking bans.

Here Are Some Links to Keep Handy:

• Red Cross offers blizzard preparation safety tips
• Safe Winter Driving Tips
• National Weather Service
• Latest closings from 7News
• Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s Twitter page
• MassDOT’s Twitter page
• National Grid latest outages
• NSTAR latest outages
• Parking Bans/Snow Emergencies for Cities and Towns
• Mass State Police’s Twitter page
• Logan Airport flight information
• What to do before, during and after a winter storm

Photo Credit: Patch File Photo