PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A slow-moving storm churned through the Northeast on Tuesday, bringing drenching wind-blown rain to coastal areas, wet snow inland and a wintry mix to the New England states.
The storm made for a sloppy, slippery Tuesday morning commute in southern New England, where state police responded to dozens of crashes and spinouts caused by icy roads, some involving their own cruisers. Nine passengers on a commuter bus involved in an accident in Connecticut were hospitalized, and one person was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on an icy upstate New York highway.
With heavy rain falling, parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island were under flood watches. The National Weather Service said up to 2 inches of rain was expected, though some areas could get up to 4 inches.
Some coastal areas were also seeing winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph.
New Hampshire awoke Tuesday morning to light snow, freezing rain and sleet. To the south, New Jersey dealt with a soaking rain and the threat of coastal flooding from morning and midday high tides. Worsening conditions were expected as the storm winds up later Tuesday, and into Wednesday in northern areas.
Benjamin Sipprell, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Taunton, Massachusetts, said conditions in southeastern New England would be especially hazardous in the afternoon.
"It's that 1 p.m. time frame that we are most concerned about with heavy rain and winds, and also the heaviest snow," he said.
Snowfall was expected to be minimal along the Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia to Boston, but winter storm warnings and weather advisories were issued for inland parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and northern New England.
Certain higher elevations could get 2 feet of snow through Thursday. The heavy, wet snow and gusty winds could combine to bring down tree limbs and power lines, causing outages.