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Daily Digest
Steve Decker cleans up in front of BankNorth on Wednesday.
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More Snow
The Berkshires received several inches of snow this morning, but not enough to close schools, unlike yesterday's sleety mess. Temperatures will drop into the 20s this afternoon. A few more snow showers are expected through the weekend. |
Duff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
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Like to Write?
 iBerkshires accepts submissions about local events, news and opinion pieces. There are openings for freelance work, too, for qualified candidates. E-mail tdaniels@iberkshires.com to find out more. |
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Other StuffMars Rovers Mark 5 Years
 Spirit and Opportunity have been trekking the red planet for half a decade. Spirit hit the 5-year mark on Sunday; Opportunity will on Jan. 24. |
Obama TransitionRelated Stories |
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Round 2: Nor'easter Hits RegionBy Tammy Daniels - December 16, 2007
 | | Scott Rivenburg inventories shovels at Aubuchon's in North Adams. |
NORTH ADAMS - A second major storm hit the region overnight, bringing sleet and freezing rain through Sunday and into Monday.
The Nor'easter dropped several inches of snow by Sunday morning and windy conditions persisted through the morning. Power was out in sections of Stamford, Vt., for several hours this morning and events were cancelled because of the icy mess.
Four to 8 inches of snow fell across the region before changing to sleet and freezing rain, according to WNYT Channel 13 in Albany, N.Y. The snow is continuing to the north while sleet and freezing rain falls through the afternoon in the Berkshires. The wind will continue to pick up this afternoon and into this evening, according to the forecast.
Residents made a run on salt and shovels on Saturday, preparing for the icy mess headed our way.
"We're all out of 50-pound bags and 25-pound bags of salt," Megan Adams of Aubuchon's in North Adams late Saturday. "All we've got left is 10-pound bags."
Most of those bags went flying out the door Saturday; the store still had plenty of SuperMelt left, and shovels sales were steady but slower. That's because they were the hot item for the last storm that swept through the Berkshires on Thursday, said Adams.
Thursday's storm dumped up to 12 inches of light, fluffy snow on the region.
All the shovels that were left hung on the wall at the front of the store and store manager Scott Rivenburg was taking inventory to order more. "I heard we were the only one around here left with them but I don't know if it's true," he said.
There were a few lonely snow shovels at Wal-Mart but most shoppers were more focused on holiday shopping than storm preparation, and other hardware stores were closed so it was hard to get a census. At this point, it doesn't matter much which store has the shovels if you don't have one in hand now.
That's because the snow will start falling sometime between midnight and 1 a.m. Sunday, and earlier in the Albany (N.Y.) Capital District. By the time it's all over, meteorologists are predicting from 6 to 12 inches total in Northern Berkshire and Southern Vermont by Monday afternoon; 3 to 5 inches are predicted in Southern Berkshire. New York's Catskills and northern New England could see 18 inches or more.
But right behind it are the snow and freezing rain, which is forecast to start falling before noon tomorrow. Temperatures will be in the teens tonight and 20s tomorrow, with winds up to 25 mph.
The Nor'easter is expected to disrupt travel throughout the region and put a damper on holiday shopping on the next-to-the-last weekend before Christmas.
Most cities and towns already have winter parking regulations in effect, banning parking on town and city streets overnight. Cars blocking the work of plows risk being towed at away at their owners' expense.
Boston officials are breathing a sigh of relief as the bulk of the storm is shifting north of the capital. Thursday's storm left the city in gridlock when state and city offices, businesses and schools began sending students and workers home around the same time. According to The Boston Globe, motorists were stuck for hours, many running out of gas while parked in traffic jams. Some schoolchildren didn't get home until 11:30 that night.
With the storm hitting overnight on a Sunday, gridlock's not likely here in the Berkshires. As always, state and local police are urging caution when driving. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is warning residents to be aware of the possibility of roof collapse and localized flooding.
"If not cleared off of roofs, the snow acts as a sponge, absorbing any additional sleet and rain, adding stress to structures," said MEMA Director Don Boyce in a statement. "Additionally, MEMA encourages citizens to clear storm drains in their neighborhoods to minimize local flooding problems from this run-off."
Before hitting the road tomorrow, make sure the event or place your going to is still open.
Cancellations
First Congregational Church in Williamstown has postponed its 10:30 a.m. pageant until Sunday, Dec.23, and its caroling until Dec. 30. It will hold a prayer service Sunday at 10:30.
North Adams Faith Formation
Today: Closed, no morning classes, no evening classes
If you have a cancellation or postponement, e-mail your information to info@iberkshires.com and we will post it as soon as possible.
Article updated 12/16/2007 |
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