Portland, Maine — The Northeast was bracing Tuesday for its first major snowstorm of the season, just as the Midwest began escaping the snow and ice that hampered travel after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Some parts of northern New England are expecting up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) of snow. Meteorologists said that a possible snow storm is heading towards the region and could submerge some parts of the six states in the region while snow accumulates in other states.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in states including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut and New York ahead of the snow’s arrival.
The winter blast is set to arrive days after more than 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) of snow fell at Chicago O’Hare International Airport over the weekend, setting a record for the highest snowfall in a single calendar day in November at the airport, according to the weather service. The previous record was set in 1951.
Snow in the Great Lakes region is easing, but a new storm is heading into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with up to 30 centimeters of snow falling by Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Orrison said.
“This will be the first snowfall of the season in many of these areas, and it will be fairly significant,” Orrison said.
The National Weather Service issued a warning for the Maine coast from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning, saying residents should “delay all travel if possible” due to the snow. Meteorologists said the state is one of many states that will see its first snowfall in December.
In New Hampshire, the Department of Transportation on Sunday invited residents to submit names for its second annual “Name the Plow” competition.
“Welcome to the Seven Snowplows division. We have a wintery twist on a classic tale. Hawthorne had the Gables. We have orange snowplows just waiting for the perfect name,” management said on social media.
The top name of the last winner is Ctrl-Salt-Delete. This season’s winners will be announced in January.
With snow expected to cover large parts of Pennsylvania, crews began treating trails along the 565-mile (909-kilometer) Pennsylvania Turnpike system on Monday, said Marissa Urbanek, the agency’s press secretary. Vehicle restrictions will be in place on several highways in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, including the northeastern extension of the Turnpike system, from the Lehigh Valley to Clarks Peak, at 5 a.m. Tuesday.
More than 600 equipment operators and safety workers are available to help clear the 2,900 miles (4,667 kilometers) of trails, Urbanek said. The main road’s winter staffing schedule began in mid-November, and 23 sheds are being prepared for around-the-clock maintenance.
“We really prepare for snow all year long,” Urbanek said.
In Chicago, Don Herian was among the throngs of travelers at O’Hare on Sunday, hoping to return home after Thanksgiving as hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled after… Winter storm In the Great Lakes region.
The 76-year-old retiree from Ardmore, Oklahoma, had visited his daughter and her family in Indianapolis. He said his first flight was delayed by three hours, and his connecting flight from Chicago to Oklahoma City was delayed by another two hours.
“That’s what it is,” Herian said. “It’s crowded, but that’s to be expected due to the snow, delays and holidays.”
Roads leading to O’Hare were crowded Sunday with slow-moving vehicles, even after the roads were cleared of snow. Planes were de-iced at several airports across the country on Sunday, including Washington’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Associated Press reporters Adam Schreck in Chicago, Jamie Stengel in Dallas, Mark Sulforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and photojournalist Nam Wai Huh in Chicago contributed to this report.