Another storm hits New England

Blizzard warning issued; lows could drop to minus-10.

BOSTON — A Valentine’s Day storm bought snow and dangerously high winds to New England for the fourth time in less than a month, the latest blow to a region that has already seen more than 6 feet of snow in some areas.

A blizzard warning was in effect for coastal areas from Connecticut to Maine through Monday morning, promising 8 to 14 inches in southern New England up to 2 feet in Maine. A bone-chilling blast of cold will follow, with lows of minus 10 degrees forecast in some areas tonight.

National Weather Service meteorologist William Babcock said road conditions will be dangerous as steady, widespread winds whip the relatively dry snow around.

“On Sunday, the best thing people can do is stay home, stay indoors,” he said.

Babcock said gusts could max out at 75 mph — hurricane territory — on Cape Cod. Officials warned of possible power outages, and north-facing or vulnerable coastal areas could suffer flooding and beach erosion, the National Weather Service said.

Transportation officials took many precautions. Boston’s Logan International Airport said more than 250 flights scheduled for today were canceled. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority canceled all rail, bus and ferry service in the Boston area.

Gov. Charlie Baker urged motorists to stay off roads during the storm, but stopped short of an outright travel ban.

Crews have worked urgently to remove the massive amounts of snow that have clogged streets and triggered numerous roof collapses.

“They’ve been doing a great job as far as sort of removing the snow and relocating the snow to make it look like it’s less, but it’s piled up everywhere,” said John Barry, general manager of Kelly’s Roast Beef in Revere, on Boston’s North Shore. He said the recent tough weather has hurt business, but the restaurant has gotten traffic from snow plow drivers, emergency personnel and “people sort of venturing out to check out the weather.”

At the University of Connecticut, where up to 8 inches of new snow was expected, Gavin Paquette, 25, was part of a 12-man contract crew shoveling snow off roofs Saturday.

“There was about an 8-foot snow bank up on the roof,” he said of the school’s football training center. “It’s all wet, heavy snow.”

Paquette said he hadn’t had to shovel roofs for several winters, but this year the job is keeping him in shape.

“I’ve lost nine pounds since Wednesday,” he said.

Massachusetts called up hundreds of National Guard troops to assist with snow removal, and Hanscom Air Force base outside Boston became a staging area for heavy equipment pouring in from eight other Northeast states to help in the effort.

DARREN MCCOLLESTER / GETTY IMAGES Women walk their dogs along Revere Beach on Saturday in Revere, Massachusetts. New England is expecting its fourth major snow storm in three weeks with another foot of snow coming, followed by bone-chilling cold.