WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - The storm that dumped more than 6 inches of snow across parts of the region switched to a messy mix and freezing rain Sunday, which resulted in a spate of crashes and spin-outs on area roadways.
On Monday, strong winds coupled with icy roads made for a tough morning commute. As of noon, Boston was seeing wind gusts of up to 58 miles per hour.
In Worcester, winds were also howling, with gusts of up to 52 miles per hour. Utility crews from Unitil are on standby to assist with any outages in the region.
“We are expecting elevated winds through the day today, going into the evening. For our specific service region, we may see winds approaching 50 miles per hour in terms of wind gusts. That certainly has the potential to cause outages. We have crews that are ready to go throughout the day today,” said Alec O’Meara, of the Unitil Corporation.
“I’ve lost complete feeling in my toes and face,” said Najma Hassan, who’s visiting Boston.
“The ice and rain last night… everything froze up pretty fast,” said plow operator Danny Rivera.
In Wrentham Monday, Park Street near Joshua Road was impassable with a tree across the road. Meanwhile, in Holden, another tree was down along Route 31.
In Mashpee Sunday, a driver in a pickup truck slid off the highway and overturned near a fire hydrant. The damaged truck was left smoking, but there was no word on whether the driver was injured.
And in Westford, two vehicles slid off the side of a busy highway and became stuck on the side the road. The driver said there was about 2 inches of snow at the time.
In Burlington, a tractor-trailer caused lengthy delays when it became jackknifed in the middle of the highway.
All told, state police say they responded to more than 400 crashes, 17 of which resulted in injuries.
The latest round of winter weather caused headaches for many motorists but had some residents enjoying the fact that their communities had been transformed into a winter wonderland.
O’Meara said it’s important for residents to take a look around the outside of their homes to make sure everything is intact after the storm.
“Might be a good idea to go outside, check your vents and meters that are for your house, make sure you haven’t seen snow buildup there, clear that snow away. Don’t use a shovel, use a broom, but make sure that you’re getting good ventilation, wherever that may be on your property,” O’Meara said.
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