‘Marathon’ Storm Could Bring 12 Inches Of Snow To New Hampshire

GRAY, ME — Forecasters and state officials are warning of a major winter storm coming to the state on Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service issued a “winter storm watch” from 7 p.m. on Thursday through 1 a.m. on Saturday on Wednesday warning of “heavy mixed precipitation” including snow accumulations of 3 to 10 inches. Sleet of around three-quarters of an inch and a light glaze of ice, too, were possible, forecasters said.

“Travel could be very difficult,” the alert stated. “The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.”

AccuWeather.com called the storm a “marathon” — stretching 2,000 miles across 19 states. Their forecasters predicted a combination of heavy snow, ice, and thunderstorms, causing major travel issues and power outages.

Most of the northern part of the state and the Lakes Region could receive between 12 and 18 inches of snow. Concord and the capital region could receive as much as 12 inches. In other parts of the state, between 3 and 12 inches of snow were expected.

State emergency management officials also warned of the storm’s impact on the state noting between 4 to 9 inches of snow, as well as ice and sleet, were possible in Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Rockingham counties, with more snow in the North Country.

“Preparing for this storm ahead of time will keep you and your family safe,” New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jennifer Harper said. “If you must travel, make sure your vehicle’s winter emergency kit is stocked. Learn more about emergency preparedness at ReadyNH.gov.”

NHDOT Commissioner Victoria Sheehan said officials were asking residents to “defer travel until after the storm” to allow road crews to remove snow and make the roads safe.

“For those who must travel, please check travel conditions for your route and drive for conditions, allowing yourself plenty of time to reach your destination and ample space between your car and others,” she said. “We will be out statewide for this event so please, don’t ever crowd our plows.”

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 (Amherst, Bedford, Concord, Exeter, Hampton, Londonderry, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Salem, and Windham). Local weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays. Alerts are published when needed.

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