After a night and morning of steady snowfall, the snow subsided early Sunday afternoon as a winter storm lashed the Vineyard. Ferries to the Vineyard have been canceled for all of Sunday and the Island is a blanket of white after hours of wind-driven snow for the second time in three weeks.
The storm was expected to bring strong winds to the Vineyard and other parts of eastern Massachusetts; the winds are expected to subside midday Sunday. As of 10 a.m., the peak wind gust at the weather station on the Chappaquiddick-side Chappy Ferry slip was 43 miles per hour.
Cape Air has canceled flights Sunday and Peter Pan Bus Lines has has canceled all service Sunday between Woods Hole and Boston. The Steamship Authority announced Sunday morning that all Sunday service for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket would be canceled because of the weather and service Monday will be on a case-by-case basis. The 6 a.m. Monday trip from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole has been canceled because of the weather.
The Vineyard Transit Authority suspended bus service all day on Sunday.
The town of Tisbury has a parking ban through 7 a.m. Monday, though the parking ban was lifted for Main Street Tisbury on Sunday afternoon. The town of Edgartown said Saturday that parking is not allowed on town streets, but town lots will be open. Residents were asked to stay off the roads Sunday to allow plows to do their work.
Police and public safety personnel warned that driving conditions were dangerous and advised residents to stay off the roads if possible.
Katama Road in Edgartown is closed. In Oak Bluffs, East Chop Drive is closed between Brewster avenue and Munroe avenue.
The YMCA will be closed on Sunday, as will Island libraries that normally have Sunday hours. The regional high school play Into the Woods has canceled its Sunday performance.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning through 4 a.m. Monday.
The storm is expected to clear by Sunday evening, but forecasters say strong winds and bitterly cold temperatures will prevail on Monday, the Presidents Day national holiday.
State and local emergency managers are monitoring weather conditions.
Photo gallery: Mid-February Storm Lashes Island
Comments (42)
Comments
Comment policy »