More than 310,000 without power

More than 310,000 without power as second nor’easter hammers Massachusetts

Tree limbs and wires down in Lexington on Thursday.

Tree limbs and wires down in Lexington on Thursday.

By Felicia Gans Globe Staff 

More than 310,000 customers are without power Thursday as a snowy nor’easter lingers over the region, leading to school closures, a day off for state workers, and a troubled morning commute, officials said.


The power outages stretch from the Worcester area and east into Greater Boston, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Hardest hit is Essex County, where 35 percent of customers are powerless, followed by Middlesex and Worcester counties, both at 18 percent without power around 6:27 a.m., according to MEMA.

The outages come as the region recovers from another nor’easter last Friday that brought heavy rain, strong winds, and coastal flooding, knocking out power to some 450,000 at its worst.

The current storm dumped more than a foot of snow on communities around Interstate 95, several inches in Boston, and prompted Boston Public Schools and other public and private schools to close Thursday.

Governor Charlie Baker called a snow day for non-emergency state workers. State courts will open at 10 a.m. except in Bristol, Plymouth, and the Cape and Islands, where precipitation was mostly rain and courts will have normal schedules.

The MBTA is using shuttle buses on a portion of the Riverside branch of the Green Line and on the Red Line’s Mattapan trolley. Keolis Commuter Rail Services is reporting delays on the Worcester, Fitchburg, Lowell, and Haverhill lines.

“While the MBTA is expecting to operate regular service on all modes on Thursday, the T is encouraging customers to plan ahead and allow for extra time while traveling,’’ the transit agency tweeted.

Snow totals were higher north and west of the city, with 11.5 inches seen in Marlborough at about 1:28 a.m. and 13 inches seen in Leicester at about 10:53 p.m.

Heavy snow is falling in the Boston early Thursday, and it will continue as late as noon. By that time, the precipitation will be “light and manageable,” said weather service meteorologist Benjamin Sipprell.

Boston will likely end up with 3 to 6 inches of snow, Sipprell said, but the barely-freezing temperatures could mean significantly more snow just 5 to 10 miles away, in Watertown or Waltham.

“Boston’s underneath a pretty moderate snow band, so we’re not done with this yet in accumulations for sure,” Sipprell said.

The temperature at Logan International Airport at about 6:45 a.m. was 31 degrees, making the temperature further inland of the city just 1 or 2 degrees lower, Sipprell said.

By 6:44 a.m., the state’s transportation department had 3,062 snow crews clearing state roadways.

The roads are “wet to slush, snow-covered,” the department tweeted, advising drivers to allow extra time for their commute.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for Suffolk County, eastern Essex County, and western Norfolk County through 1 p.m. on Thursday.

After heavy snow tapers off, there is a chance of rain and snow showers in the afternoon, according to the weather service.

Thursday’s high in Boston is expected to be in the upper 30s, with lows this evening in the upper 20s.