A big spring storm brought heavy snow, rain, and strong winds to the Northeast until Thursday. It caused trees and power lines to fall, and nearly 700,000 homes and businesses lost power at some point. A woman was killed by a falling tree in a New York City suburb and another woman died in a New Hampshire fire caused by the weather.
Up to two feet of snow could happen in parts of northern New England by Thursday evening, and there will be wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph in coastal areas and inland, according to the National Weather Service.
Maine and New Hampshire had the most power outages, with about 334,000 and 162,000 respectively by mid-Thursday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. Local officials said the heavy, wet snow caused trees and power lines to fall. Power outages decreased from more than 700,000 to about 630,000 by the afternoon.
“This was pretty much a classic nor’easter,” said Stephen Baron, a meteorologist for the weather service in York, Maine. “This is definitely a high-end storm for April. It’s not crazy for us to get snow in April but not usually getting double-digit amounts.”
Our @TWCChrisBruin is in Portland, Maine, where a powerful nor’easter is slamming the region with heavy, wet snow and strong winds. Thousands are without power and the number of outages is expected to rise. pic.twitter.com/0m3iTt3qwJ
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) April 4, 2024
The weather service said it was the biggest April nor’easter to hit the region since 2020.
More than a foot of snow had fallen in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where some residents without power stayed at the The Wolfeboro Inn, general manager Shawn Black said.
“This is a lot of heavy, wet snow,” he said. “And the wind is out of the northeast, so it’s really not nice in a sense of temperature-wise, especially when the speed gets up to gusts of 55 mph. While I was out on the snowblower I could really feel my forehead just go numb.”
Jane Phillips, cross country skiing in her neighborhood in Portland, Maine, was enjoying the weather.
“It’s special to get snow in April and to be able to get out and enjoy it. It’s fun being a Mainer,” Phillips said. “We’ve been missing snow so, this is a special little, sort of after the winter story gift.”
Snowfall reports received as of noon Thursday April 4th. Highest totals so far by state:
VT – Greensboro 15.2"
ME – Hollis 13.2"
NH – Wolfeboro 12.2"
NY – Warrensburg 12"
MA – Hawley 8.2"
CT – Norfolk 3"
PA – Lake Como 3"
NJ – Highland Lakes 2.3"
RI – Harrisville 1" pic.twitter.com/0vrgk7yq0O— NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) April 4, 2024
Heavy snow made travel dangerous in northern parts of New England and New York, and many accidents happened.
A crash closed Interstate 95 northbound near Lewiston, Maine, for a short time on Thursday morning. In Windham, Maine, near Portland, a Jeep lost control and hit a police car, but no one was injured.
The storm mostly brought heavy rain to southern parts of the Northeast, along with strong winds.
Late Wednesday afternoon, a tree fell on a vehicle in the Westchester County, New York, area of Armonk, killing a woman who was the only person inside, police said.
In New Hampshire, Derry Fire Chief Shawn Haggart said a woman died and a young woman was hospitalized after a morning house fire Thursday that was caused by an explosion.
Haggart said the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office found that a tree fell on the house near propane tanks that were outside when strong winds were knocking down tree branches and power lines in the area.
Many flights at airports in the region were canceled or delayed. A lot of schools and government offices were closed in northern areas.
Maine's state government was closed, and a special panel looking into the October mass shooting in Lewiston had to delay a planned hearing.
Maine Governor Janet Mills advised people to avoid driving during the storm, but if it's necessary, she urged them to give plow trucks, utility crews, and emergency first responders plenty of space as they work to keep everyone safe.
Utility companies in northern New England said they were ready for the storm, but it might take a while to restore power.
The spokesperson for Central Maine Power, Jon Breed, cautioned that the weather on Thursday would be dangerous and encouraged everyone to be careful while driving.
A Nor'easter brought heavy, wet snow that has caused many areas to have power outages. Wet snow is heavy and can cause power lines and trees that can support the weight to fall over. ????❄️ #MEwx pic.twitter.com/PHRZccG9HZ
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 4, 2024
Boston experienced strong winds and heavy rain. Staff at the New England Aquarium there checked the roof to ensure nothing could be blown into the sea lion habitat, which is partly exposed to the outdoors. The storm surprised some visitors.
Claire Saussol, a visitor in Boston, mentioned that she bought a poncho to protect herself from the wind and rain. She admitted that she was not prepared for the weather, but she found the city to be beautiful despite the difficult conditions.
A coastal storm caused severe flooding in New York's City Island on Wednesday, leaving the neighborhood 'under water.' pic.twitter.com/nzypCDjVpU
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) April 4, 2024
In the meantime, cleanup efforts continued in several states hit by tornadoes and severe weather which resulted in at least three deaths earlier in the week. Tornadoes struck in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.
The victims included a homeless woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was taking shelter inside a drainage pipe during heavy rains, a woman in the Philadelphia suburb of Collegeville whose car was struck by a falling tree, and a person involved in a car accident in Kentucky.
The National Weather Service in West Virginia confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with winds of up to 130 mph hit the Fayette County community of Hico on Tuesday, causing damage to at least a dozen homes and businesses. The weather service also issued a warning for major flooding through Sunday in some communities along the Ohio River. Approximately 40,000 homes and businesses in the state were still without power.
