A major spring storm brought heavy snow, rain and high winds to the Northeast, downing trees and power lines and leaving nearly 700,000 homes and businesses without power at one point. A woman was killed by a falling tree in a New York City suburb and a second woman died in a New Hampshire fire caused by the weather.
Two feet (61 centimeters) of snow was expected in parts of northern New England by Thursday evening, with wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph (80 to 97 kph) in coastal areas and inland, according to the National Weather Service. Moderate to heavy snow was forecast to continue in the evening and into Friday in areas of higher terrain.
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A major spring storm brought heavy snow, rain and high winds to the Northeast, downing trees and power lines and leaving nearly 700,000 homes and businesses without power at one point. A woman was killed by a falling tree in a New York City suburb and a second woman died in a New Hampshire fire caused by the weather.
Crews work on utility lines along Route 60 in Hico, W.Va., Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The lines were damaged by a storm that hit the area the day before. (Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald via AP)
Phil Cloutier removes heavy wet snow after an early-spring Nor'easter, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/David Sharp Sent from my iPhone
A person walks through the rain on Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Boston. An early spring nor'easter is hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. Around 670,000 homes and businesses were without power Thursday afternoon from West Virginia to Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)
A person walks through the rain on Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Boston. An early spring nor'easter is hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. Around 670,000 homes and businesses were without power Thursday afternoon from West Virginia to Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)
Snow falls in Concord, N.H., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kathy McCormack)
Snow weighs down trees in Concord, N.H., Thursday, April 4, 2024. An early spring nor'easter hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. (AP Photo/Kathy McCormack)
A snowman stands on Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord, N.H., Thursday, April 4, 2024. An early spring nor'easter hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. (AP Photo/Kathy McCormack)
Wires from a fallen utility pole block a snow-covered road, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Bow, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Holly Ramer)
The Ohio River floods its banks on Wheeling Island, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
Councilman Ben Seidler, a resident of Wheeling Island, surveys high water near his home as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
South York Street on Wheeling Island is closed to traffic as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
A water heater and other items were removed from the lower level of a home on Wheeling Island as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
The Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. The Wheeling Suspension Bridge can be seen in the background. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
A car is floats down a street on Wheeling Island as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
The Ohio River slowly creeps into the downtown business district at the city's Heritage Port, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
A portion of Route 9 between Falmouth and Cumberland is closed as crews work to remove a downed tree spanning the snow-covered roadway in Falmouth, Maine, Thursday, April 4, 2024, following a spring snowstorm. (Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via AP)
A tree is uprooted and leans against a home, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Kennebunk, Maine, following a spring snowstorm. (Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via AP)
Emma Pidden waits for her bus on Congress Street in Portland, Maine, Thursday, April 4, 2024, following a spring snowstorm. Pidden said she decided to take the bus into her office because she was worried about losing WiFi at home. (Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via AP)
Neighborhood residents walk around a crab apple tree that fell into the road on Winter Street in Montpelier, Vt., on Thursday, April, 4, 2024. Heavy snow caused widespread power outages in the northeast. (Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus via AP)
A pedestrian walks beneath snow-laden trees Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Northfield, Vt., as a major spring storm dumped heavy snow on the region. (Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus via AP)
Sue Venman of Saxtons River, Vt., shovels her driveway on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Yiren Zheng of Hanover, N.H., uses an umbrella to keep dry while walking down Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
David Herrick of Townshend, Vt., uses a tractor to remove the snow from his driveway on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
A sidewalk plow clears the sidewalks on Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
A snowblower truck from Rockingham Highway Department clears the snow from downtown Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
People drive around in the snow in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Amber Morin of Saxtons River, Vt., carries a bag of groceries on Main Street after visiting the local market on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Donna Alexander of Grafton, Vt., shovels her sidewalk path to her house on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Steve Dickens, of Derry, N.H. shovels snow, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Derry, N.H. Parts of New Hampshire received over a foot of snow from the storm. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
A passer-by carries an umbrella while walking in strong wind, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. A spring storm is bringing heavy rain and high winds across New England. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Rain and strong wind sweep across the harbor during a spring storm, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
A pedestrian walks through downtown Boston during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A nor'easter has brought heavy wind, rain and snow to New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A pedestrian walks through downtown Boston during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A nor'easter has brought heavy wind, rain and snow to New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A commuter walks past a destroyed umbrella while heading towards South Station through wind-driven rain, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Commuters walk with umbrellas through wind-driven rain near South Station, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Visitors on a bus tour view downtown Boston through rain-splattered windows during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A nor'easter has brought heavy wind, rain and snow to New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Maine and New Hampshire bore the brunt of the power outages, with about 310,000 and 125,000, respectively, as of Thursday night, according to poweroutage.us. Local officials said the heavy, wet snow was to blame for bringing down trees and power lines.
Residents living in areas where power outages are continuing should make sure to check on neighbors, especially those who may be vulnerable, said Robert Buxton, New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management director.
“This was pretty much a classic nor’easter,” said Stephen Baron, a meteorologist for the weather service in Gray, Maine. “This is definitely a high-end storm for April. It’s not crazy for us to get snow in April, but not usually getting double-digit amounts.”
The weather service said it was the biggest April nor'easter to hit the region since 2020.
“Still reporting snow and wind here at the office, with 17.4 inches (44.2 centimeters) of snow for the event thus far here in Gray,” the service posted in the evening on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Over a foot (30 centimeters) of snow fell in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where some residents who lost power checked in at the Wolfeboro Inn, general manager Shawn Black said.
“This is a lot of heavy, wet snow,” he said. “And the wind is out of the northeast, so it’s really not nice in a sense of temperature-wise, especially when the speed gets up to gusts of 55 mph. While I was out on the snowblower I could really feel my forehead just go numb."
Jane Phillips, who was cross-country skiing in her neighborhood in Portland, Maine, was relishing the weather.
“It’s special to get snow in April and to be able to get out and enjoy it,” Phillips said. “It’s fun being a Mainer.”
Heavy snow made travel treacherous in northern New England and New York, and numerous vehicle crashes were reported.
One temporarily shut down Interstate 95 northbound near Lewiston, Maine, on Thursday morning. In Windham, Maine, near Portland, a vehicle lost control and struck a police cruiser, but no one was injured.
The storm brought mostly heavy rain to southern parts of the Northeast, as well as high winds.
Late Wednesday afternoon, a tree fell on a vehicle and killed a woman in the hamlet of Armonk in New York's Westchester County, police said.
In New Hampshire, Derry Fire Chief Shawn Haggart said a woman died and a young woman was hospitalized after a morning house fire Thursday that was sparked by an explosion.
Haggart said the state Fire Marshal’s Office concluded that a tree fell on the house near external propane tanks at a time when strong winds were knocking down branches and power lines.
Dozens of flights in the region were canceled or delayed, and many schools and government offices were closed in northern areas.
“We recommend that you stay off the roads if you can, but if you must travel during the storm, be sure to give plow trucks, utility crews and emergency first responders plenty of room as they work to keep us safe,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said.
Utilities in northern New England said they were prepared for the storm but power restoration could still be lengthy.
“Our crews are responding to widespread tree damage across our service area brought on by today’s long-duration Nor’easter,” Central Maine Power said on its website, adding that most of the damage was due to “more than a foot of heavy, wet snow and strong winds.”
The utility said more than 450 power line crews and 250 tree crews were assessing the damage and were prepared for a multi-day restoration effort.
Whipping winds and driving rain battered Boston, where staffers at the New England Aquarium did a sweep of the roof to make sure nothing could blow into the sea lion habitat, which is partially exposed. The storm caught some visitors off guard.
“I just saw the wind and the rain and I just bought this little poncho to protect myself,” said Claire Saussol, who grew up in France and was was visiting the city Wednesday. “I wasn't prepared with the warm clothes. It’s worse than the north of France!”
Elsewhere, cleanup work continued in several states wracked by tornadoes and other severe weather blamed for at least three deaths this week. Tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Georgia.
Killed were a homeless woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was sheltering inside a drainage pipe during heavy rains; a woman in the Philadelphia suburb of Collegeville whose car was hit by a falling tree; and a person involved in a car accident in Kentucky.
In West Virginia, the National Weather Service on Thursday confirmed that two tornadoes with maximum winds of 130 mph (209 kph) and another with maximum winds of 110 mph (177 kph) hit in the southern part of the state Tuesday, damaging homes and businesses and snapping and uprooting trees. The weather service also issued a warning for major flooding through Sunday in some communities along the Ohio River. About 20,000 homes and businesses in the state remained without power as of Thursday night.
Associated Press writers Patrick Whittle and Holly Ramer in Boston, Karen Matthews in New York, John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, Jackie Quinn in Washington, D.C., and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this report.
Lisa Silverman walks her dog Riley after an early-spring Nor'easter on Thursday, April 4, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/David Sharp)
Crews work on utility lines along Route 60 in Hico, W.Va., Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The lines were damaged by a storm that hit the area the day before. (Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald via AP)
Phil Cloutier removes heavy wet snow after an early-spring Nor'easter, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/David Sharp Sent from my iPhone
A person walks through the rain on Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Boston. An early spring nor'easter is hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. Around 670,000 homes and businesses were without power Thursday afternoon from West Virginia to Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)
A person walks through the rain on Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Boston. An early spring nor'easter is hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. Around 670,000 homes and businesses were without power Thursday afternoon from West Virginia to Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)
Snow falls in Concord, N.H., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kathy McCormack)
Snow weighs down trees in Concord, N.H., Thursday, April 4, 2024. An early spring nor'easter hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. (AP Photo/Kathy McCormack)
A snowman stands on Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord, N.H., Thursday, April 4, 2024. An early spring nor'easter hammered the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. (AP Photo/Kathy McCormack)
Wires from a fallen utility pole block a snow-covered road, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Bow, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Holly Ramer)
The Ohio River floods its banks on Wheeling Island, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
Councilman Ben Seidler, a resident of Wheeling Island, surveys high water near his home as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
South York Street on Wheeling Island is closed to traffic as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
A water heater and other items were removed from the lower level of a home on Wheeling Island as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
The Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. The Wheeling Suspension Bridge can be seen in the background. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
A car is floats down a street on Wheeling Island as the Ohio River floods its banks, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
The Ohio River slowly creeps into the downtown business district at the city's Heritage Port, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Wheeling, W.Va., following days of heavy rains in the region. (John McCabe/The Intelligencer via AP)
A portion of Route 9 between Falmouth and Cumberland is closed as crews work to remove a downed tree spanning the snow-covered roadway in Falmouth, Maine, Thursday, April 4, 2024, following a spring snowstorm. (Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via AP)
A tree is uprooted and leans against a home, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Kennebunk, Maine, following a spring snowstorm. (Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via AP)
Emma Pidden waits for her bus on Congress Street in Portland, Maine, Thursday, April 4, 2024, following a spring snowstorm. Pidden said she decided to take the bus into her office because she was worried about losing WiFi at home. (Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via AP)
Neighborhood residents walk around a crab apple tree that fell into the road on Winter Street in Montpelier, Vt., on Thursday, April, 4, 2024. Heavy snow caused widespread power outages in the northeast. (Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus via AP)
A pedestrian walks beneath snow-laden trees Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Northfield, Vt., as a major spring storm dumped heavy snow on the region. (Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus via AP)
Sue Venman of Saxtons River, Vt., shovels her driveway on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Yiren Zheng of Hanover, N.H., uses an umbrella to keep dry while walking down Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
David Herrick of Townshend, Vt., uses a tractor to remove the snow from his driveway on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
A sidewalk plow clears the sidewalks on Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
A snowblower truck from Rockingham Highway Department clears the snow from downtown Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
People drive around in the snow in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Amber Morin of Saxtons River, Vt., carries a bag of groceries on Main Street after visiting the local market on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Donna Alexander of Grafton, Vt., shovels her sidewalk path to her house on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Steve Dickens, of Derry, N.H. shovels snow, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Derry, N.H. Parts of New Hampshire received over a foot of snow from the storm. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
A passer-by carries an umbrella while walking in strong wind, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. A spring storm is bringing heavy rain and high winds across New England. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Rain and strong wind sweep across the harbor during a spring storm, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
A pedestrian walks through downtown Boston during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A nor'easter has brought heavy wind, rain and snow to New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A pedestrian walks through downtown Boston during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A nor'easter has brought heavy wind, rain and snow to New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A commuter walks past a destroyed umbrella while heading towards South Station through wind-driven rain, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Commuters walk with umbrellas through wind-driven rain near South Station, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Visitors on a bus tour view downtown Boston through rain-splattered windows during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A nor'easter has brought heavy wind, rain and snow to New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
