Latest Nor’easter Reaches Blizzard Conditions

BOSTON — The Latest on a third nor’easter in two weeks to pound the storm-weary Northeast (all times local):

11:25 a.m.

The National Weather Service had declared the latest winter storm to hit the Northeast a blizzard.

The service’s Taunton, Massachusetts, office said on Twitter late Tuesday morning that automated observing sites in Hyannis, Falmouth, and Plymouth recorded three consecutive hours of blizzard conditions despite some missing observations due to a power loss.

The weather service defines a blizzard as three or more hours of sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 mph or greater; and falling or blowing snow that reduces visibility frequently to less than one-quarter of a mile.

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11:15 a.m.

Alex Tuthill called the snow falling in Boston during the latest nor’easter “quite incredible.”

In Boston on business, the 30-year-old London resident said he was sharing pictures and videos with friends back home who rarely seen more than a few inches of snow as he waited for a taxi outside a hotel.

He said he has “never seen anything like this in my life. … I can imagine everyone here hates it but for me it’s quite an experience.”

Roy Zaloom of Ramsey, New Jersey, was preparing for a morning drive back home.

He thought the snow looked mushy “which means it’s slippery as the dickens.”

After getting a foot of snow at home last week, he was ready for winter to end.

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10:15 a.m.

Amtrak has suspended service between Boston and New York City as heavy snow pummels New England.

Amtrak says train service between the cities will be halted for the remainder of Tuesday. Amtrak initially said train service would be suspended until at least 11 a.m.

Amtrak says service will be restored “pending improved conditions.”

The weather service issued a blizzard warning for much of the coast of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Meteorologists have said the nor’easter could bring blizzard conditions and nearly 2 feet of snow to some areas of New England.

The National Weather Service says gusts exceeding 50 mph (80 kph) were recorded off Cape Cod Bay, in Bourne, early Tuesday.

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8:50 a.m.

Eastern Long Island is braced for the brunt of the latest storm in the New York City metropolitan area.

Newsday says road conditions deteriorated quickly before sunrise Tuesday as wet, heavy snow accumulated in the Town of Brookhaven.

A National Weather Service winter storm warning is in effect until 6 p.m. in Suffolk County and 4 p.m. in Nassau County.

Forecasters say Long Island’s East End could get 8 to 12 inches of snow with poor visibility at times and wind gusts at 30 to 45 mph.

PSEG Long Island says about 1,200 customers lost power overnight, but electricity was restored for most by early Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Brooke Houston says the utility has brought in 112 linemen from Quebec to supplement hundreds of employees and local

The Long Island Rail Road was reporting only minor weather-related delays (10 to 15 minutes) during the morning rush.

Dozens of Long Island schools were closed Tuesday.

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8:15 a.m.

While snowfall was negligible on much of Cape Cod during the early hours of the latest storm to hit the Northeast, forecasters said the nor’easter could dump as much as 2 feet.

There was barely enough snow early Tuesday to coat lawns and sand beaches, yet winds near hurricane force were lashing the peninsula.

The National Weather Service says gusts exceeding 50 mph (80 kph) were recorded off Cape Cod Bay in Bourne early Tuesday.

The area was hit hard by the last two storms, with massive coastal erosion and hundreds of toppled trees.

The weather service issued a blizzard warning for much of the coast of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

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7:45 a.m.

A nor’easter that could bring blizzard conditions and nearly 2 feet of snow to some areas of New England has started to intensify.

What began as a wet, slushy, wind-driven rain in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday turned into snow that quickly covered roads and made driving treacherous.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for much of the coast of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Although the latest storm was not expected to bring as many power outages as a nor’easter last week, about 12,000 customers in Massachusetts lost power Tuesday morning.

Communities across the region closed schools for the day and issued on-street parking bans.

The Boston-area public transit system said it would operate on a limited weekday basis and encouraged people to check schedules before heading out.

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12:05 a.m.

The third major nor’easter in two weeks is starting to slam the storm-battered Northeast with more than a foot of snow and high winds expected in some areas.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for much of the Massachusetts coast, a winter storm warning for most of New England and a winter weather advisory for portions of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The storm is expected to last through most of the day Tuesday, disrupting road and air travel.

While the first two storms of the month brought coastal flooding and hundreds of thousands of power outages, this one is expected to be different.

More power outages are possible, but they are not expected to be as widespread as last week. Only minor coastal flooding is predicted.