Gov. Patrick asks motorists to stay off roads
Gov. Deval Patrick asked motorists to stay off the roads tonight when the region is expected to bear the brunt of the year’s first snowstorm.
“We have a serious and significant winter storm that will affect the whole of the state through today and tomorrow,” Patrick said.
Throughout the tri-town, light snow has fallen steadily since the morning leaving about two inches on the ground by Thursday afternoon. All Old Rochester Regional School district schools were open today as the storm is expected to intensify Thursday evening.
Speaking at a news conference, Patrick also said non-essential state employees were dismissed at 3 p.m. The governor encouraged private companies to follow suit.
“This is for the safety of people and also for the ease of keeping up with the clearing of the roads,” he said.
The National Weather Service reports that between eight to 10 inches of snow will fall on the state, with some predictions as high as two feet depending on the location. Patrick said the range of local snow accumulation would be “extraordinary.”
The snow is expected to get heavier at 7 p.m. with snow predicted to fall at a rate of one to two inches per hour at times.
To handle the storm, Patrick said the Massachusetts National Guard is authorized to assist state and local authorities. Additional state police are on duty as well and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency will be fully activated at 7 p.m. tonight.
The entire state is under a winter storm warning, but only Massachusetts’ eastern coast faces a coastal flood warning. While Marion and Mattapoisett are not named under the coastal flood warning, Patrick said the “most significant concern” for shore communities comes at high tide, set for midnight tonight and noon tomorrow.
Adding to the danger is the possibility of blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow. The weather service has issued blizzard warnings during that time. Blizzard conditions occur when visibility is a quarter of a mile or less caused by falling snow or ground snow being blown about for at least three hours.
