A lot went down while you were away.
A lot of snow, that is.
Spring Break destinations like Cancun and the Gulf Coast seemed all the greater alternatives this year, as some of the season’s heaviest snowfall smothered New England during Boston University’s week off from classes.
Two multi-day storms, one to start the week and one this past weekend, dropped upwards of three feet of snow on parts of the state. With much of Massachusetts ground to a standstill, Gov. Paul Cellucci was forced to declare a State of Emergency Monday and Tuesday.
Boston University, opting to follow the recommendation of Cellucci and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and “follow this lead in the interest of public safety,” closed for a day-and-a-half, according to BU spokesman Colin Riley.
The University closed entirely on Monday, then delayed opening an hour on Tuesday morning before closing at 1 p.m.
Riley said the storm’s ongoing effects led to the decision to close early.
“The storm was there with a mix of snow and ice, and travel in the city was treacherous,” Riley said. “People traveling to north of the city were getting hammered.”
Snow began to fall across southern New England on Monday morning, gradually becoming sleet and freezing rain before yielding to blizzard conditions by Monday evening. Winds gusted as high as 60 miles-per-hour off the coast of Boston and high seas swamped both the North and South Shore, waves tearing at piers and flooded basements.
By the time the snow stopped falling on Wednesday morning, Logan Airport reported 10 inches of snowfall. Areas north of Boston got hit much harder, as cities such as Methuen and Haverhill reported more than two feet of new snowfall. Two towns northwest of Boston — Franklin County’s Buckland and Worcester County’s Winchendon — reported a state-high total of 30 inches.
While Boston was barely able to clear away the first storm, a second Nor’easter drilled the region starting Friday. The heaviest snowfall came on Friday, with additional amounts piling up through Saturday morning. The storm accounted for another five inches at Logan Airport, with some areas north of the city reporting upwards of an additional foot.
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