The nor’easter off the New England coast will stick around for another day. Snowfall continues during daylight hours across much of the region, continuing early this evening primarily in Maine.
The heaviest snow bands today, Dec. 3, will dump an additional 2 to 5 inches in the Boston metropolitan area; 1 to 3 inches in southeastern New Hampshire (including Portsmouth and Nashua); 3 to 9 inches in various parts of Maine, including the Portland, Augusta, Bangor, Millinocket and Caribou areas. Drivers should expect delays on the I-95 and US-1 corridors through these areas. Wind gusts will reach 35 to 45 mph in some spots, blowing snow and reducing visibility at times.
The Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine Departments of Transportation have not posted any interstate commercial vehicle restrictions as of early this morning, according to their social media sites. However, the speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph on portions of I-295 in Maine.
Besides problems on the roads, disruptions in freight movement are possible at Boston Logan International Airport (ICAO code: BOS), where ground delays are likely. Operations may also be disrupted at the ports of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as Worcester and Fall River, both in Massachusetts. These assets are marked by the dots on the FreightWaves SONAR Critical Events map directly below. Red indicates a predicted “high” risk of disruption.
The nor’easter will wind down across the region by late afternoon, with the exception of Maine. Snowfall will finally fade there by late evening. Look for lake effect snowfall on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in places such as Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown and portions of Michigan.
Other areas of snowfall today, Dec. 3
Although snowfall is slowing down in the mountains of West Virginia, parts of I-64 and I-79 will remain slick due to snow and ice. The same goes for secondary routes in the area, including those leading to Snowshoe.
Drivers may also run into light snow and freezing drizzle on I-15 through southeastern Idaho, including Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Northwestern Montana won’t be a picnic either. Watch out for snowy and icy conditions over Marias Pass (US-2), as well as the 17-mile stretch of I-90 from Lookout Pass to Haugan.
Looking ahead
A Pacific storm will produce heavy snowfall in the Sierra Nevada from late tonight through tomorrow, Dec. 4, in addition to the high elevations of the Great Basin (Nevada and Utah) tomorrow and Thursday, Dec. 5. As of this morning, the outlook is for anywhere from 5 to 18 inches in some areas of California, from Kings Canyon to Lake Isabella. The Eastern Slopes of the Sierra Nevada, as well as the White Mountains, could see 4 to 8 inches. Some peaks in the Great Basin may get socked with 12 inches of total snowfall. Meanwhile, parts of southern California will get drenched with 2 to 3 inches of rainfall and the risk of localized flash flooding.
