The first major winter storm of December is hammering New England this morning, blanketing cities from Springfield to Bangor under a thick, fast-falling snow. Plows are already out before sunrise, headlights glow through swirling flakes, and side streets are turning white by mid-morning. Travel is quickly deteriorating across interior Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
According to the National Weather Service, a powerful low-pressure system tracking up the East Coast will intensify through the day, drawing in colder air and producing snowfall rates of one inch per hour or more across much of interior New England. By the time the system pulls into the Canadian Maritimes early Wednesday, many areas will see 5–10 inches of snow, with locally higher totals exceeding 12 inches in higher elevations and along the central Maine coast.
Road conditions will worsen rapidly this afternoon as snow piles up faster than plows can clear. The heaviest bands are expected from the Poconos through southern New Hampshire and into Downeast Maine. Major routes, including I-90, I-91, and I-95, could see extended delays as visibility drops to near zero in bursts of heavy snow.
Meanwhile, areas farther south — especially across the southern and central Appalachians — are dealing with a different kind of hazard: freezing rain and ice accretion up to 0.2 inches, making for slick, treacherous conditions on bridges and untreated roads.
The storm will exit New England by early Wednesday morning, but frigid air behind it could trigger black ice and flash freezing on wet roads. Commuters should prepare for a challenging evening drive and use extreme caution if heading out before sunrise Wednesday.
How much snow have you measured so far in your town? Share photos from your neighborhood as New England digs out from its first big winter storm of December.
