12-18 Inches Of Heavy, Wet Snow Heading To NH

GRAY, ME — The National Weather Service issued follow-up hazardous weather outlook and winter storm warning alerts this morning suggesting that Granite Staters be prepared for another large snowstorm expected to start this afternoon, according to reports online. The alerts were posted at just before 4 a.m. on March 7, 2018. The strong coastal storm – originally expected to drop as much as 24 inches in some sections of New England, including New Hampshire – is moving into the region starting around noon today.

“Snow is expected to spread northward across the region this afternoon and evening,” according to the warning alert. “There is some potential for the snow to mix with rain at the coast as the heavier precipitation begins today. Snow will become heavy this evening and overnight with dangerous travel conditions expected. The storm will weaken and drift west Thursday, but snowfall may linger, especially in the mountains, until Friday. There is high confidence that a large portion of the forecast area will see 10 or more inches of snowfall, with the highest totals approaching 20 inches.”

The alerts cover the entire state of New Hampshire and are active through 1 p.m. on Thursday.

Forecasters warn of visibility issues during the next 24 hours with slippery roads on Thursday morning. Scattered power outages are expected.

Eversource Says Its Ready

Eversource said in a press statement this morning that line and tree crews were ready to respond to the upcoming storm. With hundreds of workers staged throughout New Hampshire, the energy company is said it was prepared to safely and quickly restore power to any customers impacted.

"This storm is expected to bring the heavy, wet consistency snow that can weigh down trees and our equipment, causing power outages," said Eversource Vice President of Electric Operations Joe Purington. "We have been monitoring the storm and have additional crews on standby throughout the state. Additionally, we prepare year-round for storms by investing in tree trimming and upgrades that make our electric system strong and more resilient."

The company reminded customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1. They can report an outage online at eversource.com, or by calling 800-662-7764. Those who signed up for the company's two-way texting feature can send a text to report an outage and receive outage updates as they happen.

Red Cross Teams Up With Unitil

The Red Cross has teamed up with Unitil to offer specific safety measures. Do you have natural gas? Here are some safety tips:

• Remove snow and ice carefully from a meter or outdoor appliance vent carefully with a broom.
• Avoid shoveling or plowing snow up against or covering the meter or pipe.
• Remove icicles from overhead eaves and gutters to assure dripping water does not freeze the meter or vent pipe.
• If you cannot reach icicles on your own, contact a qualified roofing vendor.
• Blocked meters and vents can cause a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide gas in a home or business. Therefore, it is crucial to know where your vents are and to ensure they don’t become covered.

Here are 10 storm safety tips:

1. Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.
2. Don’t forget your furry friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
3. Remember the three feet rule. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.
4. Requires supervision – Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
5. Don’t catch fire! If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
6. Protect your pipes. Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.
7. Better safe than sorry. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.
8. The kitchen is for cooking. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
9. Use generators outside. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.
10. Knowledge is power. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

For more information on how to stay safe during the cold weather, visit winter storm safety.

State Emergency Management Activated

Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH, has activated state emergency management officials in an effort to coordinate preparedness to the upcoming storm. It will open at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

"As another winter storm approaches the region that is expected to bring significant snowfall beginning this afternoon, we have been working closely with state emergency management officials to coordinate preparedness efforts with local communities and utility companies," Sununu said in a press statement. "We are monitoring the storm's path and will provide updates throughout the evening and into tomorrow as needed. While I recommend that folks stay off the roads if they are able to during the high points of the storm, I encourage those who must travel to use common sense, plan ahead for challenging conditions and exercise extreme caution."

The Department of Safety is encouraging New Hampshire residents to limit travel during the storm, if possible, and to take the following precautions:

• Leave extra time to get to destinations.
• Allow safe driving distances between vehicles.
• Anticipate reduced speeds.
• Keep vehicle fuel tanks at least half full.
• Avoid travel along the immediate seacoast as additional erosion and splash over will create snow covered, hidden debris Thursday morning.

Additional information, including safety and preparedness tips, is available at readynh.gov.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States including the 12 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites. Local, four-day weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Wednesday or Thursdays. Alerts are posted when needed.