Winter’s first big snowstorm hits the Northeast as schools close and traffic slows

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – The Northeast saw its first major winter snowstorm arrive on Tuesday just as the Midwest began to escape snow and ice that snarled travel after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Some parts of northern New England were expecting up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of snow. A windy, potentially icy storm was headed to the region and could soak some parts of the area’s six states while piling snow in others, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in states including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut and New York ahead of the snow’s arrival. By Tuesday morning, snow was falling steadily around the region.

The winter weather arrived days after more than 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) of snow fell at Chicago O’Hare International Airport over the weekend, setting a record for the highest single calendar day snowfall in November at the airport, according to the weather service. The previous record was set in 1951.

Snow in the Great Lakes region was tapering off, but the new storm was heading to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow by Tuesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Orrison. Hundreds of flights were delayed amid the snow.

“It’s going to be the first snowfall of the season for many of these areas, and it’s going to be rather significant,” Orrison said.

Meteorological winter, covering December through February, is used by climate scientists for consistent recordkeeping and differs from the astronomical seasons found on most calendars.

The National Weather Service issued a warning for coastal Maine from Tuesday morning until Wednesday morning, stating that residents “should delay all travel if possible” due to snow. The state is one of many that is in for its first wallop of snow of December, forecasters said.

Schools and government offices closed around the Northeast, with officials citing potentially dangerous road conditions. Dozens of schools around upstate New York cancelled classes with six or more inches (15 centimeters) forecast in some eastern part of the state. Snow began falling before dawn, making roads slippery during the morning commute.

In New Hampshire, the Department of Transportation on Sunday invited residents to submit names for its second annual name-a-plow competition.

“Welcome to The Department of the Seven Snowplows, our winter twist on a classic tale. Hawthorne had gables. We have orange snowplows just waiting for the perfect name,” the department said on social media.

Last winner’s top name was Ctrl-Salt-Delete. This season’s winners will be announced in January.

Winter weather advisories remained across Ohio on Tuesday, as the icy conditions snarled traffic and shuttered schools. Snowfall overnight left accumulations of 3 to 5 inches (7 to 12 centimeters) in some southern parts of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Numerous accidents were reported. In the northern part of the state, a portion of I-70 West through Cleveland had to be closed as a crash was cleared, while highways around Columbus saw dangerous slowdowns.

Forecasters urged caution as slippery conditions and poor visibility will persist.

With plowable snow coating parts of Pennsylvania, crews began to treat lanes along the 565-mile (909-kilometer) Pennsylvania Turnpike system, said the agency’s press secretary, Marissa Orbanek. Vehicle restrictions on many interstates in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, including on the turnpike system’s Northeast Extension, from the Lehigh Valley to Clarks Summit, were imposed at 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Snow was falling steadily in the Lehigh Valley by Tuesday morning. Traffic slowed to a crawl in the Kutztown area along Interstate 78 as snow fell.

More than 600 equipment operators and safety workers are available to help clear the turnpike’s 2,900 miles (4,667 kilometers) of lanes, Orbanek said. The turnpike’s winter staffing schedule began in mid-November, and 23 maintenance sheds are staffed around the clock.

“We really prepare for snow all year long,” Orbanek said.

The snowstorm now sweeping the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast began as a weaker system over the central U.S. but strengthened as it neared coastal waters, said Ashton Robinson Cook at the NWS’s Weather Prediction Center.

These kinds of storms are uncommon but not “too far out of the realm of possibility,” he said. The next system could also bring winter weather to the Mid-Atlantic through Friday and Saturday.