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Winter Storm Cripples Travel in Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Nonessential Vehicles Barred in 3 Massachusetts Counties as Heavy Snow and High Winds Halt Cleanup; R.I. Has Similar Restrictions
Key Takeaways:
- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey imposed a nonessential travel ban in Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties as a severe winter storm buried the region.
- The storm caused more than 300,000 power outages, over 2 feet of snow in some areas and wind gusts above 70 mph.
- Healey said restoration and snow removal could take days and will update residents Feb. 24, while nearby states also enforced or extended travel restrictions, though New York City lifted its travel ban.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey banned travel for all nonessential motor vehicles in three southeastern counties that got battered by the winter storm.
As of the morning of Feb. 24, the ban was still effect forBristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties, which include the popular summer destination of Cape Cod and suburban commuting towns like Hingham and Scituate. Conditions on roads are hazardous, and the ban will help plows to better clear the snow, Healey said at a Feb. 23 news conference.
“This is as bad as I’ve seen it,” Healey said. “The snow will end. I know the snow will end, but we’re going out with a bang here, looks like.”
It’s the first snow-related travel ban issued for Massachusetts since 2015, when a series of storms caused so much snow to accumulate that it didn’t fully melt. Cities in the Massachusetts counties affected by the travel ban have already reported more than 2 feet of snow from the storm, with wind gusts of more thanin some places, according to the National Weather Service.
STORM UPDATE: I'm issuing a travel ban on all non-essential driving in Southeastern Massachusetts — and reducing the speed limit on the Pike to 40mph.
Whiteout conditions are making travel extremely dangerous. If you get stuck, help will have a hard time reaching you. — Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor)
🚨UPDATE: Truck travel restrictions have been lifted for points north of and including I-90 from the New York border to I-495 in , and points west of, and including I-495 from the NH border to Hopkinton. Restrictions remain in place on other state roadways at this time. — Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT)
Nearly 300,000 businesses and homes were without power Feb. 23 in Massachusetts — the most in the U.S. — according to.
More than 1.3 million people live in the affected counties. While travel isn’t officially banned in other parts of Massachusetts, Healey urged people to stay home and off the roads. “We’ll let you know” on the rest of Feb. 24, she said.
Most public schools, including Boston's, were closed Feb. 24. Healey mandated remote work for nonessential state employees and urged private employers to follow the state’s lead.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani lifted a similar travel ban that shuttered the city’s roads and bridges for much of Feb. 23 as blizzard conditions eased. Schools there reopenedFeb. 24, a decision met with some criticism, .
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Hannah and Astrid Grimskog play in Times Square on Feb. 23 in New York. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)
Healey said she has asked for support and equipment from New York, Vermont and New Hampshire to help clear the snow. Winds are the “biggest problem” because they’re preventing crews from being able to restore power, she said. Restoration could take “a couple of days,” based on her conversations with utilities.
Those who violate the travel ban will be fined $500, state police said. More than 350 cars were disabled and abandoned across Massachusetts as of the afternoon of Feb. 23, hindering the progress of snow removal efforts.
Elsewhere in New England, Providence, R.I., broke its record for a single snowstorm with 32.8 inches, the National Weather Service said. The old record was set from Feb. 6-7 during the Blizzard of 1978 when 28.6 inches fell.
Plowing has stopped in the city because of high winds, Mayor Brett Smiley said in a video posted to Instagram. Even though plows were running all night, “I know it looks like many roads haven’t been touched,” Smiley said. “We had to give them a break because the visibility was so low.” Plows will return when the winds die down but cleanup is expected to take all week, he said.
Neighbors, we are in the middle of the most severe blizzard to impact Providence in decades.
Cities across New England are facing dangerous winds, low visibility and white-out conditions that require plows to pause for the safety of all of our community.
Our crews were out… — Mayor Brett Smiley (@PVDMayor)
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee had extended aon travel by nonessential vehicles, a ban that lifted at noon.
