Winter storm pulls out of New England late Friday

CNN

By Jay Croft, Haley Brink and Aya Elamroussi, CNN

A winter storm that brought heavy snow and ice to parts of the Northeast on Friday is beginning to move out of the region this evening. The storm caused rough road conditions, prompted school closures and resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations.

Three million people from upstate New York to Maine remain under winter weather alerts through 10 pm Friday. Six to 10 inches of snow was common from central New York through Massachusetts and northward into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The storm is beginning to move out of the Northeast early this evening and any lingering light snowfall should only add another inch or two to what has already fallen.

Earlier Friday, with heavy snow falling in the Boston area, a commuter train hit an unoccupied snow plow, affiliate WFXT reported. No one was injured. Snow totals across Boston have ranged from 7 to 10 inches so far.

State police said two lanes are closed on the Mass Pike east in Auburn after a tractor-trailer rolled over, the station said.

And affiliate WFXT reporter Vicki Graf tweeted video of a minor crash, also without injuries.

Officials have urged people to avoid driving if possible.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont directed all state offices to close Friday and told staff to work remotely if possible.

“I strongly encourage everyone in Connecticut to stay off the roads on Friday morning unless absolutely necessary, particularly during the height of the storm so that DOT (Department of Transportation) crews can clear the roads and keep everyone safe,” Lamont said in a news release.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker also urged people to stay off the roads, warning them that plummeting temperatures could cause flash freezing and icy roads, particularly in areas that see the wintery mix of rain and sleet.

More than 60% of flights at Boston Logan International airport are canceled Friday, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. Overall, more than 1,200 flights in total have been canceled in the US, it said.

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CNN’s Amy Simonson and Taylor Ward contributed to this report.