NH Winter Storm Update: Another 24+ Hours Of Snow, Sleet To Go

CONCORD, NH — The first major snowstorm of the winter season is upon the state of New Hampshire and there is still a lot more to come, according to forecasters. About 6 inches of snow has fallen in central New Hampshire (this, according to my hardware store yardstick out the door measurement) with a band of freezing rain and sleet now falling in Concord. Forecasters have extended the track of the storm to between noon and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the latest updates.

"Snow will be light and intermittent across much of the area during the day today, with only snow showers expected in the far north," the National Weather Service reported at just before 4 a.m. Monday. "A second low will develop just off the New England coast tonight and will intensify as it tracks east across the Gulf of Maine through Tuesday. This will bring a round of accumulating snow back into the area tonight."

Another round of heavy snow is expected tonight with light snow through the day today. Warnings have been issued for portions of Maine in addition to NH. Check the latest: https://t.co/HdiayhNsdu pic.twitter.com/0z6GTeohAU
— NWS Gray (@NWSGray) December 2, 2019

The NWS winter storm warning remains in place until 7 a.m. Tuesday with heavy snow expected.

"Travel could be very difficult through tonight," according to the alert.

Updated Snow Info

In Concord, Bedford, Londonderry, and surrounding areas, as much as 2 inches of snow is expected during the day, another 3 inches tonight, and at least an inch of snow Tuesday morning. Snow is expected to last through 2 p.m.

In the southern part of the state, including Amherst, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, Salem, and Windham, up to 4 inches of snow is expected through the day and evening and another 2 inches on Tuesday. The storm is expected to end sometime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Another 2 inches of snow is expected today on the Seacoast. Exeter, Hampton, North Hampton, and Portsmouth will also see as much as 4 inches tonight and another 4 inches on Tuesday with the storm ending around 4 p.m.

If you make the decision to drive in the inclement weather; #clearthesnowbeforeyougo & use caution. #NHSP

1. Reduce speed and increase following distance
2. Move over for emergency vehicles and don’t crowd the plows
3. Avoid hard breaking
4. Turn on headlights and buckle up pic.twitter.com/p36wn56MIt
— NHSP (@NH_StatePolice) December 2, 2019

Emergency Operation Center Open

The New Hampshire State Emergency Operations Center opened officially at 6 a.m. "out of an abundance of caution," according to the department's Twitter account, in an effort to monitor and stay ahead of any storm issues.

Overnight, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation reported a number of accidents on I-93, I-89, the Everett Turnpike, I-95, and Route 101. Exeter firefighters also reported that a motor vehicle crashed into a house on Portsmouth Avenue at just before 9:30 p.m. and then left the scene, according to a post on Twitter.

Speed limits are at 45 mph across the state.

State police are also asking anyone who must travel today to clear the snow before you go. It's illegal, via Jessica's Law, to have snow on your vehicle while traveling.

Troopers also request that drivers reduce speed, allow for distance between vehicles, move over (another state law) for emergency vehicles, avoid hard braking, wear a safety belt, and keep your vehicle's headlights on while driving.

While driving on municipal streets, follow the rules of the road, allow safe crosswalk crossing, and stay focused, whether you are driving, walking, or biking.

Limited Power Outages

The storm has not caused any major power outages although teams of utility workers are ready to go in case it does.

"We continue to closely monitor the weather and will have crews in position to be there for our customers if they need us," said Eversource NH Vice President of Electric Operations Joe Purington. "We prepare for storms year-round by designing and hardening our system to withstand severe weather conditions. Just as we prepare for storms like the one moving into the state tonight, we encourage our customers to take steps to stay safe."

Unitil reported securing "additional crews" in advance of the storm on Twitter.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, Unitil is reporting very small outages in Exeter, Hampton, Hampton Falls, and Seabrook, while Eversource is reporting outages in North Hampton and Francestown.

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.

Got a news tip? Send it to Tony Schinella at tony.schinella@patch.com.

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