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A treacherous northeaster that dumped record-level snowfalls throughout much of the East Coast swept into Massachusetts overnight, grounding hundreds of flights at Logan International Airport, launching fleets of snowplows, and canceling numerous holiday parties with Christmas less than a week away.
Forecasters predicted the season’s first major snowstorm would taper off by noon today, leaving 8 to 12 inches of accumulation in Boston, and slightly more in surrounding areas. Southeastern Massachusetts and southern Rhode Island were expected to be hardest hit, with up to 20 inches of snowfall, along with severe winds and whiteout conditions. A blizzard emergency, defined as winds of more than 35 miles and hour and less than a quarter-mile visibility, had been declared throughout that region yesterday.
The storm paralyzed the nation’s capital with 16 inches of snow yesterday, and along the East Coast, the weather was blamed in about a half-dozen deaths, while hundreds sought warmth in emergency shelters.
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