Northeast US Facing Harsh Driving Conditions Due to Winter Storm, With Millions Under Winter Weather Alert

(CNN) — A winter storm that has brought heavy snow and ice to parts of the northeastern United States is causing difficult road conditions after prompting school closures and hundreds of flight cancellations.

Some 40 million people remain under weather alert. In areas north of Interstate 90, up to 8 inches of snow could fall, with additional ice expected in places, creating dangerous travel.

The storm will begin to move out of the northeast late Friday afternoon and into early evening.

Earlier Friday, with heavy snow falling in the Boston area, a train hit an unoccupied snowplow, affiliate WFXT reported. No injuries were reported.

State Police said two lanes are closed on the east side of Mass Pike in Auburn after a tractor-trailer overturned, the station said.

And reporter Vicki Graf from the affiliate WFXT he tweeted a video of a minor crash, also with no injuries.

Minor accident on 93 NB, Mass State Police on the scene. @jenyp pic.twitter.com/VykH1nPJs5

— Vicki Graf (@VickiGrafWX) February 25, 2022

Authorities urge people to avoid driving if possible.

Up to a foot of snow accumulation is expected in upstate New York and central New England, said the Weather Prediction Center this Friday. These areas can potentially record anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow, with lighter totals in spot areas.

“Heavy snow rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour will make travel difficult in the early afternoon,” the forecast center reported.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all state offices closed Friday and asked staff to work remotely if possible.

“I strongly encourage all Connecticutans to stay off the roads Friday morning unless absolutely necessary, particularly during the height of the storm, so Department of Transportation crews can clear the roads. and keep everyone safe,” Lamont said in a news release.

According to CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford, a mix of heavy precipitation ranging from 4 to 8 inches of snow and light ice is expected in Hartford on Friday. Snow can turn to sleet and freezing rain during the late morning and back to snow in the afternoon, he said.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker also urged people to stay off the roads, warning that falling temperatures could cause flash freezes and icy roads, especially in areas that see winter’s mix of rain and sleet.

More than 60% of flights at Boston Logan International Airport were canceled this Friday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. In total, more than 1,200 flights have been canceled in the United States, according to the site.

A winter storm will produce a swath of freezing rain into Friday over the northern Mid-Atlantic and a swath of heavy snow over upstate New York State and much of New England. check https://t.co/VyWINDBEpn for more information. pic.twitter.com/EUwnkk4CmR

— National Weather Service (@NWS) February 25, 2022

The path of the storm

The storm moved from the South and Midwest, after bringing cool temperatures and icy conditions to parts of Texas, Arkansas and Missouri.

By late Friday morning, more than 7 inches of snow had fallen in parts of Maine, New York state and Massachusetts.

According to forecasts, Boston can expect up to a foot of snow that will peak in the morning hours, falling 1 to 2 inches per hour, similar to the rest of New England. The city is under a storm warning through Friday.

Meanwhile, up to an inch of a mixture of snow and sleet is expected to fall on New York’s roads. Farther north, in Buffalo, New York, the storm could dump 8 inches of snow, along with sleet and freezing rain.

In Portland, Maine, 6 to 9 inches of snow is expected to fall, and in Concord, New Hampshire, 8 to 12 inches is expected to fall through Friday.

As for cities in the Midwest, about 4 inches of snow is expected for Detroit, Milwaukee and Indianapolis. A winter mix is ​​expected in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, as well as in Springfield, Illinois.

Some weather advisories have been suspended in the Midwest since the storm has receded. Freezing rain continued to fall in parts of Arkansas, Tennessee and Ohio.

Rain is expected to continue across the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic.

— Amy Simonson contributed to this report.