The first widespread snowstorm of the season socked New England Monday, causing chaos on the roads, knocking out power for thousands and closing many schools — all ahead of a second round of snow that could outdo the first in some areas.
Several inches of wet snow dropped on parts of the region, closing hundreds of schools in the region and leaving many roads covered with slush or snow for the morning and evening commutes, which contributed to crashes across New England.
And officials in Massachusetts were anticipating potentially more treacherous roads for Tuesday's commute, when the second round of snowfall is expected to be heaviest. Students at Boston Public Schools are getting a snow day because of the travel conditions. Get a full list of school closings here.
"If you do have to drive, please leave plenty of time and plenty of room between you and the other vehicles," Gov. Charlie Baker said at a news conference Monday evening, fearing that drivers will find seemingly safe roads suddenly become slick.
The NBC10 Boston and necn forecast anticipates between 3 and 6 inches in the greater Boston area and even more in the Merrimack Valley. The rest of New England should get at least 1 more inch of snow.
In total, the storm was expected to deliver 6 to 12 inches of snow west of I-95 and up to 8 inches near the immediate coast.
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The MBTA is changing service because of the storm. Ferry service to Hingham and Hull was ending early, at 6:05 p.m., the MBTA said, though it was expected to resume at the normal time Tuesday morning. Service between Charlestown and Boston was unchanged.
The MBTA also canceled shuttle bus service that had been slated to replace T trains on the Orange Line and Green Line D branch due to the storm. Instead, the lines will have regular train service.
The multi-day storm left more than 2,300 customers without power in Massachusetts at one point Monday.
Drivers in southern New England faced a slushy commute while motorists in inland communities and to the north were met with snowy and icy conditions in the morning.
Speed limits were reduced to 40 mph Sunday and Monday on interstates 90, 91 and 291 in Massachusetts. Various parking bans were also implemented in the Bay State to help crews clear the roads.
Plows were out overnight in most communities as snow and rain slammed the region. In Lowell, Massachusetts, snow continued to blanket the town early Monday while road crews worked to clear the streets. A parking ban was placed into effect to help crews better clear the roads.
Motorists in Worcester cautioned that cars without four-wheel drive may encounter difficulty getting over hills. Plows were out all night in the city, where the snow became wet and heavy due to rain.
"We're asking all commuters today to travel with extreme caution," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh tweeted. "Please be sure to check on your neighbors; especially older adults and people with disabilities. For any non-emergency issues, please call 3-1-1."
The MBTA and Keolis deployed 350 workers to clear passenger areas using salt and shovels and to check that signals were working properly.
Numerous Commuter Rail train delays that ranged from 10 minutes to an hour were reported Monday morning.
For the Fairmount Line and Franklin/Foxboro Pilot, Franklin Train 743 was behind schedule by an hour due to a mechanical issue.
Worcester Train 507 ran at least 30 minutes late on the Framingham/Worcester Line due to what the MBTA described “track congestion caused by an earlier disabled train near South Station’s entrance.” Franklin Line train 744 and Fairmount Line Train 770 were also affected by the issue.
