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Mass. Residents Dig Out In Frigid Temperatures

A man skis along Memorial Drive Friday morning.
A man skis along Memorial Drive Friday morning.

The first winter storm of 2014 slowly moved out of Massachusetts Friday after dumping nearly 2 feet of snow in some areas, leaving residents to dig out in the bitter cold.

The snowfall ended in Greater Boston midday Friday, but temperatures remained in the single digits and teens, with wind chills well below zero.

In an afternoon news conference, Gov. Deval Patrick expressed concern about "quite extreme" temperatures through Saturday morning.

"These are potentially dangerous temperatures for everybody," he said.

"There are a number of shelters and warming centers that have been or will be opened," Patrick told WBUR earlier Friday. "And for folks who need access to that, they should call 211."

Boston officials also asked residents to call 911 on behalf of homeless people in need.

Meteorologist David Epstein urged those outside shoveling to take precautions.

"[The extreme cold] can create a situation where frostbite occurs in less than 30 minutes," Epstein said. "It’s a good idea to take breaks between shoveling and be sure to cover all your exposed skin if possible."

A man skis along Memorial Drive Friday morning. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A man skis along Memorial Drive Friday morning. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

The storm dropped about 15 inches of snow on Boston's Logan Airport. Areas north of the city got the highest snowfall totals, including Boxford, where nearly 24 inches of snow fell.

John Dold, superintendent for Boxford Public Works, said the light, fluffy snow and lack of people driving helped crews get roads clear by noon Friday.

"The fact that school was called [Thursday] and [Friday] helped a lot, and it didn't seem [like the average] amount of people going to work," Dold said.

No evacuations were ordered along the coast, but there was some flooding on flood-prone coastal roadways, such as in Scituate, following the Friday afternoon high tide.

Kayakers head down a flooded Otis Road in Scituate on Friday. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Kayakers head down a flooded Otis Road in Scituate on Friday. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

The snowstorm closed state offices and many schools throughout Massachusetts Friday.

The MBTA continued service throughout the storm, but experienced significant delays Friday morning due to the bitter cold.

"It's not completely unexpected given the fact that it's single digit temperatures," T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said Friday morning. "Frigid temperatures tend to wreak havoc with aging equipment."

By Friday afternoon, some flights were once again arriving and departing from Logan. Massport encouraged travelers to check with their airline before heading to the airport.

The storm did not cause any major power outages.

This article was originally published on January 03, 2014.

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