Shovels, snowblowers tools of choice for nor’easter cleanup

BOSTON (AP) — The scrape of snow shovels and the drone of snowblowers filled the New England air on Wednesday as the region cleaned up from a storm that left 2 feet of snow in some places and tens of thousands without power.

More than 150,000 customers in Massachusetts and another 20,000 in Maine were still without electricity midday Wednesday, a day after the storm. Utilities warned that it could be several days before everyone is back online as line crews are hampered by streets blocked by downed trees.

Schools across the region remained closed while several shelter warming centers opened.

Uxbridge, Mass., was the leader with nearly 28 inches. Foster, R.I., got more than 25 inches, while in Connecticut, Killingly had just over 20 inches.

Raymond, N.H., got 27 inches, while Limerick and Newfield, Maine, had 23.5 inches each.

High winds and blowing snow led meteorologists to categorize the storm as a blizzard in parts of New England, including Boston. Gusts approached 70 mph on Cape Cod, the weather service said.

Amtrak suspended all service on Tuesday between Boston and New York City, but resumed some service Wednesday, although delays lingered.

Boston’s Logan International Airport, nearly deserted Tuesday, resumed flights Wednesday.

The winter weather was far from over. Some flurries were expected in New England on Wednesday and meteorologists started tracking another possible storm for the middle of next week.

And while New York got less snow than New England on Tuesday, the state was in line for a harder hit Wednesday.

The NWS said central New York could get up to 12 inches of snow with winds gusting as high as 40 mph. Parts of western New York could get up to 6 inches of snow.