Massachusetts Blizzard Snowfall Totals show record 33.7 inches in Whitman as storm slams region
The massachusetts blizzard snowfall totals from a historic bomb cyclone that walloped the region on Monday left parts of southern New England buried under more than two feet of snow and prompted the state’s first travel ban in over a decade, snarling travel and cutting power to hundreds of thousands.
Massachusetts Blizzard Snowfall Totals and record-breaking towns
Whitman topped the state with 33. 7 inches, setting a record for a 24-hour snowfall total. The previous 24-hour record was 29 inches in Natick during the April Fools’ Day storm in 1997. Logan Airport in Boston recorded 16. 9 inches late Monday night, and some city neighborhoods received higher amounts. Dighton, New Bedford, Swansea, and Taunton all reported more than two feet from Monday’s nor’easter.
“Thirty inches of snow is no joke, that’s for sure, ” said Jonathan Darling, a spokesperson for the city of New Bedford.
Power outages, travel ban and emergency response
The storm knocked out power to more than a quarter-million residents, and as of late Monday night there were still more than 269, 534 power outages in Massachusetts. Governor Maura Healey issued a travel ban in the four hardest hit counties—Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, and Plymouth—making this the state’s first travel ban in over a decade. State Police reported responding to more than 400 disabled vehicles on the roadways through Monday afternoon.
Officials warned that restoration will take time: residents could be facing a “multiday power restoration, ” and crews must wait for winds to abate and roads to be cleared before bucket trucks can safely reach downed lines. Downed power lines, felled trees, and abandoned and stuck cars complicated the state’s response. Those caught violating the travel ban could face a $500 fine.
Coastal winds, airports and regional impacts
The storm lashed coastal areas, with some towns on Cape Cod and the Islands recording winds topping 70 miles per hour. Nantucket recorded a 78-mph wind gust—the strength of a Category 1 hurricane—shortly after 10: 30 a. m. The nor’easter accelerated on Sunday night into a bomb cyclone, undergoing bombogenesis with its central pressure dropping 24 millibars or greater within 24 hours, the Globe weather team said.
The storm paralyzed road travel and grounded hundreds of local flights. In nearby Rhode Island, the storm broke records set by the Blizzard of ’78; by 8 p. m. the T. F. Green Airport had reached 37. 9 inches.
Transit, schools and cleanup ahead
The MBTA will continue to operate Tuesday with reduced service, and dozens of school districts across the state will be closed Tuesday for a second straight day as communities start to dig out. Healey said during an afternoon press conference, “This storm has been a doozy. ” In Scituate, town administrator James Boudreau told residents to brace for multiple days without power: “Things are a mess. ”
The snow fell heavily for hours while high winds whipped through the region, and the event even produced thundersnow in spots along Cape Cod and the South Coast. The National Guard—unclear in the provided context.
crews need calmer winds and clear roads before large-scale power restoration can proceed. For now, transit with reduced MBTA service and widespread school closures are the next confirmed events on the local schedule.
