Heavy Snow Causing Crashes, Power Outages Around NH

Updated, 8:19 p.m. Feb. 5, 2016: CONCORD, NH - What was originally supposed to be a dusting to a few inches of snow around the Granite State has turned into a decent-sized storm that has brought numerous crashes on roadways and rendered thousands without power.

At just after noon on Feb. 5, 2016, the National Weather Service expanded its winter storm warnings to a winter advisory through 4 p.m. upgrading its predicted snow accumulation to up to six inches in Merrimack, Hillsborough, and Rockingham counties.

Wind gusts are expected to reach 25 mph in some sections of the state. Roads – as we’ve already seen – will be snow covered and slippery, according to the alert.

The snow has stopped in Concord but continues in other parts of the state.

Crashes

Alerts about crashes around New Hampshire began coming in at around 6:30 a.m. when commuters started heading out and hitting the slippery roads.

Not long after, a major accident involving multiple vehicles occurred in Barnstead, with one person pinned. A two-car crash shut down Route 28 in Hudson for a short period of time. Accidents were also reported on I-89 in Hopkinton and Kingston Road in Exeter.

By 9 a.m., multiple crashes were reported on the Everett Turnpike, as well as spinouts and cars in ditches in Brentwood, Nottingham, Sanborton, Stratham, Kingston, and Danville.

Route 4 in Northwood between Route 152 and Route 202 was closed for more than two hours due to a crash scene.

At around 11 a.m., a car struck a tree in Windham and a major accident was reported in Portsmouth.

A car struck a snowplow in Hampton at around noon.

At around 12:30 p.m., accidents were being reported along I-93 North in Londonderry and Derry Road in Derry. Another accident was reported at Exit 1 on I-93 in Salem were a vehicle struck a guardrail.

At 1 p.m., I-93 North near Londonderry was completely closed, according to alerts online.

Outages

At just before 4 p.m., power companies were reporting about 2,000 residents without power.

Eversource is reporting about 1,900 without power, down from more than 5,000 at the height of the storm, including with scattered outages in Hampton, Madbury, Durham, Deerfield, Newmarket, Lee, Fremont, Hampstead, North Hampton, Chester, Windham, Rochester, Merrimack, Atkinson, Nottingham, Newfields, Raymond, Greenland, Strafford, Brentwood, Barrington, Epping, Derry, Londonderry, and Manchester.

At Unitil, more than 100 without power including 69 in Exeter, 21 in Newton, and smaller outages in Atkinson, Danville, East Kingston, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, Kingston, Plaistow, and Stratham.

Liberty Utilities is reporting about 70 customers without power in Pelham and a few homes in Salem and Windham without power, down from more than 1,600 earlier today.

While messy driving conditions is serious business, at least a few people pulling donuts at the Steeplegate Mall in Concord had a bit of fun … until the cops showed up.