NH Nor’easter 2016: Timeline, Snow Totals, State Officials Request Residents to Stay Off the Roads

The snow started to fall at around 10 a.m. this morning as what will probably be the last snowstorm of the year bears down on the Granite State. The state’s emergency management operations center was activated around 1 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2016, as law enforcement and transportation officials requested that residents stay off the roads after 6 p.m. tonight.

As of 7 a.m. this morning, the National Weather Service was still predicting as much as two feet of snow in some parts of New Hampshire.

Most of the state will received somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 to 18 inches, including Concord. Snow totals for Hillsborough County communities like Amherst, Bedford, Merrimack, and Milford, have been lowered slightly but still could get between 8 and 12 inches of snow. Central Hillsborough and inland Rockingham County communities – Nashua, as well as Londonderry, Exeter, Salem, and Windham – could see as much as 8 inches. Portsmouth, Hampton, and North Hampton are expected to escape huge snow totals due to the warmth of the storm line near the ocean. Those communities can expect 1 to 3 inches as well as freezing rain through Friday morning.

The snow is expected to run about 1 to 3 inches per hour during the storm. The snow will be heaviest this afternoon and evening. The NWS winter storm warning is in place until 5 a.m. on Friday; the wind advisory is in place until 8 a.m. tomorrow.

In a statement, Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, said emergency management officials would coordinate with local communities and utilities companies to make preparations and take every precaution and will closely monitor the storm and provide updates, as needed.

“I strongly encourage all Granite Staters to exercise the common sense that Granite Staters are known for, to plan ahead, to follow all traffic and safety alerts, and to drive safely,” she stated.

101 feeling its share of road woes @WMUR9 via @JenCromptonWMUR pic.twitter.com/HsIhZS9lhk
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) December" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/WMUR9/stat... 29, 2016

The NH DOT is requesting that residents stay off the roads after 6 p.m. as well as suggesting that commuters leave extra time to get to destinations, allow safe driving distances between vehicles, anticipate reduced speeds, and keep vehicle fuel tanks at least half full.

Companies prepare

While officials are warning – and requesting – Granite Staters to stay off the roads today and tomorrow morning, the state’s utility companies are also preparing for major power outages.

Winds are expected to pick up tonight and run through the morning at anywhere from 15 to 25 mph hour, with gusts of up to 50 mph, according to forecasters.

Eversource, the state’s largest utility company, said it was mobilizing workers, about 500, to prepare to respond to the storm in case there are outages.

"We are monitoring the storm moving into the region and are ready to address any impacts to our system," said Joe Purington, the vice president of Electrical Operations in New Hampshire. "Additionally, the investments we have made throughout the state to build a smarter, stronger grid will help reduce the duration of outages and the number of customers affected when winter storms strike. With our technology upgrades and emergency response plan, we will work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible."

Liberty Utilities, a natural gas for the state as well as an electric utility for Salem, Windham, and other communities, has also initiated its emergency readiness activities ahead of the storm. The company also urges residents to prepare for outages including keeping gas meters clear and making sure that cellphones are charged.

“Because of the heavy snow and gusty winds that are forecast, power outages are possible,” said John Shore, spokesman for Liberty Utilities in New Hampshire. “Our first priority is the safety of our customers and crews. We want to strongly urge people to stay off roads, not only to keep themselves safe but to allow our crews to safely restore power.”

Unitil also posted a Tweet with its numbers on Twitter.

Please keep our numbers handy for any potential outages. You can report outages online at https://t.co/rniKN47QK1. Stay safe! pic.twitter.com/MVicY7sW6F
— Unitil (@Unitil) December" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/Unitil/sta... 29, 2016

The Red Cross of New Hampshire and Vermont is also preparing for the storm. Volunteers have been placed on “stand-by alert” in case of outages and heavy snow problems.

“Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths, and the risk of home fires increases in colder weather,” said Lloyd Ziel, the chief communications officer for the American Red Cross in New Hampshire and Vermont. “With the approach of Fortis and the possibility of power outages due to heavy snow, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant when it comes to the safety of your family.”

The org has both a winter storm safety checklist, and a power outage checklist, that can be downloaded.

For additional information regarding storm preparedness, visit ReadyNH.gov.