In what Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey called a “doozy” of a storm — and the worst the state has seen since 2015 — a powerful Nor’easter blizzard battered Massachusetts with heavy snowfall and hurricane-force wind gusts, leaving thousands without power and creating dangerous, near-impossible travel conditions.
“I think a lot of people, they’ve had enough of the snow, and this is certainly one that puts a lot of burden on people,” Healey said during a Monday news conference at the Emergency Operations Center in Framingham. “The storm puts a lot of burden on people out doing the plowing and the power restoration, the crews, and just puts a lot of burden on all of our residents, too.”
Healey was joined by Massachusetts State Police Deputy Colonel Daniel Tucker, Massachusetts National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Barron, and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Director Dawn Brantley.
After declaring a state of emergency Sunday, Healey said Eversource and National Grid reported a combined total of about 290,000 power outages across eastern Massachusetts, concentrated on Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, the South Coast, and parts of the North Shore. She also signed an executive order banning non-essential travel in Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable counties, with violators facing a $500 fine.
The storm’s greatest threat has been its wind, which, paired with heavy snowfall, has created whiteout conditions, toppled trees, and downed power lines.
On the North Shore, Lynn alone saw 3,656 customers without power Monday afternoon, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management. By Monday evening, that number dropped to 576. Elsewhere, 616 residents in Saugus and 513 in Salem remained without electricity, while Swampscott and Nahant reported lower outage totals.
Brantley warned residents to expect a prolonged recovery.
“This is going to be potentially a multi-day restoration period,” she said, noting utility crews had been brought in from across New England, the Northeast, and Canada. However, continued strong winds remained the biggest obstacle, with MEMA’s meteorologist predicting gusts would not fully subside until Monday evening.
For those outside, the storm’s intensity was unmistakable.
The Daily Item Creative Director and photographer Spenser Hasak described near-total whiteout conditions while documenting the storm Monday morning.
“As of 11:30, it’s basically whiteout,” Hasak said. “You can see maybe 50 yards in front of you — that might be an overstatement. The wind is whipping.”
Hasak said drifting snow made it difficult to measure totals, even as plows worked constantly.
“There’s no way to really tell how much snow we’ve gotten because it’s drifting in places,” he said. “The roads are solidly coated in snow, but that’s not for a lack of plows. I’ve probably driven by 50 just in Lynn and Swampscott.”
The combination of heavy, wet snow and strong wind created dangerous conditions for anyone outside.
“The wind paired with the heavy snow was making it tough to breathe at times, tough to walk,” Hasak said. “I almost got blown over at one point. I was out walking through downtown Lynn trying to get some photos. I’ve seen numerous tree limbs down.”
In Swampscott, Hasak observed fallen trees and dangling power lines, including one intersection where police had to close the road.
“Shortly after 11, power lines fell right at the intersection of Tedesco Street and Salem Street,” he said. “Swampscott police had the street blocked off because there was a power line dangling through the street.”
Driving conditions were equally treacherous.
“Driving is nearly impossible,” Hasak said. “You can’t see pavement anywhere, especially on side roads. I can’t even tell if a light is red or green.”
Unlike icy storms, Hasak said the main issue was the sheer volume and weight of the snow.
“It’s a heavier, wetter snow,” he said. “It’s considerably tougher to shovel out than the last storm.”
The storm also came in bursts, with intermittent lulls followed by renewed blasts of snow and wind.
“It kind of gets quiet for a little while, and then the wind picks up, and the snow comes back,” Hasak said. “We’re dealing with bands of snow rather than one system moving in.”
As cleanup and restoration efforts continued, school districts across the region announced closures for Tuesday, including Lynn, Lynnfield, Peabody, Salem, and Marblehead public schools.
Officials urged residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as crews worked to clear roads and restore power.
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
