With a storm set to drop rain and snow on New England and buffet the area with strong winds Monday morning, officials in Massachusetts and New Hampshire were warning drivers to take care on the roads.
The NBC10 Boston weather team has issued a First Alert for damaging wind gusts expected along the coast between 4 a.m. and the early afternoon, possible coastal flooding in the late morning, snow accumulating inland -- especially in western and northern New England -- and heavy rain along the coast.
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Power outages are possible, and utilities were mobilizing in case they need to respond to blackouts. Eversource called in crews from as far away as Canada.
"We've got them dispatched all across the state, with a pretty heavy focus on eastern Massachusetts because of the high wind that's expected overnight tonight and into tomorrow morning," Eversource representative Chris McKinnon said.
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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was urging drivers to travel Monday morning only if necessary, with freezing rain and sleet expected to be accompanied by heavy winds in parts of the state.
Similar warnings were issued in New Hampshire, where many counties were expected to get at least three inches of snow.
"If travel is necessary, please check the forecast and driving conditions for your entire route of travel, as impacts will be different based on location. Go slow and drive for conditions, making sure to allow yourself ample time to get to your destination and leaving space around your vehicle and other motorists," New Hampshire Department of Transportation Commissioner Victoria Sheehan said in a statement.
The city of Worcester, which is expecting several inches of snow, declared a winter parking ban starting at midnight Monday morning.
In Scituate, along the coast, Town Administrator Jim Boudreau said the wind was their focus.
"Winds 30 to 40 miles an hour, gusts over 60, up into 70. If we get that high, we're going to see minor to moderate power outages," Boudreau said.
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Eversource is ready to move its crews around Massachusetts as conditions change
"The wind is the major concern with this storm that's coming in. Luckily, it's going to be warming up, so we're expecting mostly rain with this one, but the wind definitely will be hazardous out there," McKinnon said.
He also reminded residents to keep flashlights handy and to refrain from using power generators indoors.
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