Fluffy snow blanketing Northeast, days after a winter wallop
A fluffy snow blanketed parts of the Northeast on Monday, just days after the biggest storm of the season dumped up to 19 inches of snow on the region.
Winter storm warnings were in effect from upstate New York to Maine, where blizzard conditions and up to 2 feet of snow were possible.
Schools around the region delayed or canceled classes Monday, including in Boston and in New York state, from Albany to areas outside New York City. Nearly all flights in and out of the airport in Manchester, New Hampshire have been canceled. In Maine, the Portland Jetport was closed.
By daybreak Monday, snow totals in Maine included 17 inches in Saco and 16 inches in Portland. In New Hampshire, 14 inches had fallen in Ossipee and there was a foot in Berlin. Scattered power outages were reported overnight, and the forecast of strong winds and coastal flooding was a concern Monday.
State officials in New Hampshire and Maine urged people to stay off the roads to avoid whiteout conditions; a number of crashes were reported from Sunday through early Monday, but there was no word of large pileups or injuries.
"We just want to remind people to be smart and be safe," New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said, warning residents to watch for children playing in snowbanks who might not be seen by plow truck drivers.
Lenore Correia, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Taunton, Massachusetts, said, "It's a big snowstorm, but nothing we haven't seen before, either."
Maine state offices were closed on Monday, as was the Statehouse and court system in New Hampshire.
In Bedford, Massachusetts, a small plane with five people on board aborted takeoff and slid off a runway on Sunday at Hanscom Field, about 20 miles northwest of Boston. The plane was headed to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. No one was injured. It was not immediately clear if the weather played a role.
A terminal at Boston's Logan International Airport was briefly evacuated Sunday evening due to high levels of carbon monoxide believed to be caused by a snow-melting machine. Massachusetts State Police said Terminal C was "vented" and returned to normal operations a short time later.
Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said the state Department of Transportation has more than 3,100 pieces of equipment and 700 employees treating and plowing roadways. The governor urged residents to avoid driving and instead use public transportation during the storm.
In northern New England, the storm was welcome news at ski areas, which last year faced some of the lowest snowfall totals in years.
"It's the complete opposite of last year in terms of snow," said Rachael Wilkinson, director of marketing at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine. "It's night and day and everyone is absolutely thrilled."
The ski area was forecast to get up to 26 inches of snow by the end of the day Monday.
And in Vermont, the governor declared Monday a "Powder Day," urging winter weather enthusiasts to take advantage of all the snow. Republican Gov. Phil Scott encouraged out-of-state skiers and snowmobilers to stay an extra day or two in Vermont and take advantage of the conditions.
"And while I can't grant official pardons out-of-state, I certainly hope all will be granted a 'snow day' pardon. Visitors can feel free to tell their boss Vermont's Governor asked them to stay," Scott said.
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Associated Press photographer Steven Senne in Waltham, Massachusetts, and writers Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.