BY TIMOTHY LAROCHE
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CLAREMONT — In what was the largest snowfall of the season so far, a nor’easter dumped more than a foot of snow across the region on Wednesday and Thursday, cancelling schools and mobilizing an army of plows.
Despite the length of the snowfall, Claremont officials say that clearing the city’s main roads was little challenge. But the possibility for rain or freezing could stress snowy roofs, with extreme weight adding to the danger of roof collapses.
Adding to the concern is the potential for the region to receive more snowfall early next week, according to the National Weather Service. Long-range winter weather advisories show a low pressure system forming off the coast of the Carolinas, projected to move north into New England on Monday night.
Claremont and the surrounding towns received as much as 13 inches of snow across 24 hours, cancelling school for more than 1,900 students in SAU 6. Throughout much of the region, it was a similar story as schools in nearly all surrounding districts also cancelled school amid the rising snow totals.
Claremont firefighters also urged residents to clear out fire hydrants to ensure quick access in the event of a fire.
“With another storm (mostly) in the books, please take a moment to help us,” a statement from the Professional Firefighters of Claremont said on Thursday. “Locate the closest fire hydrant to your home, and dig it out.”
A winter storm warning for the area was extended several hours into Thursday afternoon after it was initially slated to end by mid-day. After a short reprieve from the rapidly-accumulating snow around noon on Thursday, precipitation picked back up in the early afternoon, reducing visibility and slowing traffic.
Prior to the storm, the city saw almost 68 inches of snow this season – exceeding seasonal averages by more than 3 inches. With the additional snowfall totals as of Thursday afternoon, the city has received more than 81 inches of snow – the second highest snowfall totals in the city since 2010.
In the nearby town of Sunapee, however, overnight snowfall totals exceeded 18 inches, the highest in the state as of Thursday morning.
New Hampshire State Police reported 195 crashes and cars off the road since the start of the storm, primarily in the southern and central parts of the state. A section of Interstate-89 between New London and Lebanon had speed reduced throughout much of the day, and 42 other roads were closed across the state.
While a dense layer of powder contributed to several interstate and highway accidents in southwestern New Hampshire — including a crash at I-89 in Lebanon that resulted in the death of a 58-year old Enfield resident – other areas of the state saw significant power outages.
“Crews are addressing power outages as quickly as possible, but a few towns will be without power at least into Friday,” Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Perry Plummer said. “The best thing to do now is to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel so road crews and restoration crews can work quickly.”
In the Seacoast region, the snow and driving wind downed power lines and cut power to more than 61,000 residents. Almost 34,000 residents were still without power as of Thursday evening.
“As the snow continues to build up on trees and equipment, there may be additional power outages throughout the day,” Eversource Electric Operations Vice President Joe Purrington said. “With hundreds of line and tree workers on the system, we are well-positioned to respond to any additional damage.”
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