Winter Storm Watch Alert Major Snowstorm Expected Monday

GRAY, ME — The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch on Friday warning Granite Staters of a potentially strong snowstorm that will hit the state on Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Day.

The bulk of the storm is expected to begin around 1 a.m. on Monday and run through 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

“Significant snow accumulations and mixed precipitation are possible on Monday as a strong storm system moves into New England,” the alert stated.

While the alert did not delve into exact snow amounts, a map by forecasters shows between 2 to 3 inches to 12 inches expected in New Hampshire.

Forecasters at AccuWeather, however, said snow totals could be as high as 18 inches.

Wind gusts, along the coast, could be hurricane-force — up to 80 miles per hour.

Eversource, the state’s largest utility company, said customers should expect outages from Sunday night into Monday and plan ahead.

“We’ve been carefully monitoring this weather system for the last few days and we’ll have workers and materials in position across the state ready to respond and will adjust our plans if the forecast changes,” Doug Foley, Eversource President of New Hampshire Operations, said. “With wet snow in some parts of the state and wind gusts up to 45 or 50 miles per hour possible, there is the potential for trees and tree limbs to come down onto power lines and electric equipment. We’re fully stocked with extra utility poles, wire, transformers, and other equipment and ready to repair any damage this storm may cause.”

Customers should stay clear of downed wires and report them immediately to 911. Be sure to report any outage online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-662-7764.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States including the 12 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites (Amherst, Bedford, Concord, Exeter, Hampton, Londonderry, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Salem, and Windham). Local weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays. Alerts are published when needed.

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