NORTH ADAMS -- Northern Berkshire's roads were in rough shape Thursday after the first snowstorm of the season dumped between 8 and 12 inches of snow on local towns.
John Hockridge of New England Weather Associates said the storm peaked at noon Thursday, when snow fell up to an inch and a half an hour. North Adams received 8 inches, and a report out of Adams said 10 and a half inches. Stockbridge saw up to 12 inches, he said, and Windsor reported just over 13 inches. Things were winding down as of Thursday evening.
"The cold air is coming in stronger, and we're seeing occasional snow flurries," he said. "It looks like we'll have a dry day tomorrow with sunshine."
Hockridge added there was the possibility of another snowstorm Saturday evening, but that it was too soon to be sure it will hit the Berkshires.
Christopher Lemoine, Williamstown's public works superintendent, said snowplow drivers were busy beginning at 9 p.m. Wednesday. By noon Thursday, he said, the roads were horrible, and snowplow drivers would be trying to keep up with the snow throughout the afternoon.
"From the looks of the storm, we'll be plowing until midnight," he said Thursday.
During the storm's peak mid-day, Paul Markland of the North Adams Department of Public Works said crews were doing their best at clearing snow. A total of 12 trucks worked to clear and treat roads during the storm's peak. Markland said the wet, heavy snow falling
"It's just nonstop," Markland said. "All we can do is try to keep roads clear."
Because of continued snowfall and blowing and drifting conditions, North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright declared a snow emergency for the city from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Residents were asked to keep vehicles off of streets to help with snow cleanup.
Despite the snow, local police departments reported no major accidents Thursday. Williamstown saw two minor accidents without injuries Thursday afternoon, one on Hancock Road and another on Main Street. Adams Police reported small accidents in the morning, including a plow truck hitting a fire hydrant.
"We seemed to have dodged most of the storm," said Adams Police Officer Travis Cunningham on Thursday evening. "Right now, people are just having problems getting into their driveways."
Power outages in Northern Berkshire were few and far between.
"We had next to none," said Western Massachusetts Electric Company media representative Priscilla Ress. "We had a few outages, and we can't even tell if they were storm related."
Many of Western Mass Electric's outages were in the Springfield area, she said, most of which only lasted a short time.
To reach Edward Damon, email
edamon@thetranscript.com.
Let it snow, let it snow
Approximate snowfall totals (in inches) from the Berkshires' first winter storm of the season:
Adams 10.5
Great Barrington 5.2
Lanesborough 7.5
North Adams 6.0
Otis 11.5
Pittsfield 5.5
Williamstown 6.0
Windsor 13.4
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