State of Emergency: Crippling Nor’easter Slams Across Massachusetts

Photo by Phil Evenden:

While the capital is certainly feeling the chill, the true brunt of this massive February nor’easter is wreaking havoc far beyond the Boston city limits. Governor Maura Healey has declared a statewide State of Emergency and activated the National Guard as this rapidly intensifying storm—a process meteorologists call “bombogenesis”—continues to paralyze the Commonwealth.

South Coast & The Cape Take the Brunt

Southeastern Massachusetts and the Islands are currently experiencing the most extreme conditions. Hurricane-force winds are battering the coastline, with peak gusts reaching a staggering 83 mph on Nantucket and 77 mph in Barnstable and Wellfleet.

Fierce snow bands dropping 2 to 3 inches per hour have left roads largely impassable. As of this morning, staggering early snow totals have already been reported across Bristol and Plymouth counties:

• New Bedford: 16 inches

• Bridgewater: 14 inches

• Lakeville: 10 inches

Central & Western Mass Under Siege

The heavy bands of snow aren’t sparing the interior. Communities across Worcester County and the Pioneer Valley are facing intense whiteout conditions.

• Worcester and the Merrimack Valley are expected to see between 12 and 18 inches of snow before the system moves out.

• Central Mass towns like Clinton and Westboro logged over 6 inches of fast-accumulating snow before breakfast.

• Further west, the Berkshires and Franklin County remain under Winter Storm Warnings, bracing for 8 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow.

Widespread Outages and Coastal Flooding

Across the state, the heavy, wet snow combined with fierce wind shear is bringing down trees and power lines. Tens of thousands of residents are currently without power, with coastal towns like Scituate warning residents to expect several days in the dark as repair crews wait for winds to safely drop. Additionally, a coastal flood warning remains in effect from Plymouth County down through Cape Cod, driven by a 2-to-3-foot storm surge at high tide.

State officials are urging residents across every county to stay off the roads to allow emergency crews, line workers, and plows to operate safely.