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After Storm, Mass. Digs Out Again

Kevin Andrew adds to the pile of snow on his front yard as he clears his driveway in Somerville on Thursday. (AP)
Kevin Andrew adds to the pile of snow on his front yard as he clears his driveway in Somerville on Thursday. (AP)

Get out your shovels — again.

The latest winter storm, which moved beyond the Boston area late Thursday morning, dumped more than a foot of snow on some parts of the state.

"Looks like about 6-12 (inches) is what we're seeing," said WCVB-TV meteorologist Mike Wankum, of Boston area snowfall. "We're seeing quite a few areas that are coming at one foot of snow and it came down fast and furious overnight."

Throughout the day Thursday, crews worked to clear roads — a process made more difficult by the limited space to put it.

Boston has received more than 60 inches of snow in 31 days.

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The snowfall, and its timing, wreaked havoc on the commute Thursday. Early visibility was less than a half a mile in many places and a number of spin-outs were reported. State officials asked residents to stay off the road for the morning.

State Highway Administrator Luisa Paiwonsky mobilized about 4,000 pieces of snow-removal equipment and recommended an advisory speed of 40 miles per hour on all roads.

The snow also affected public transportation, as a Green Line D train derailed Thursday morning at the Reservoir station, causing the MBTA to initiate busing. The service was restored late in the morning. Snow also caused delays on the commuter rail.

"What you normally get in conditions like today, you have a lot of outdoor stations and customers will wait in their cars, don't blame 'em but certainly in their cars to keep warm until the last minute," said T General Manager Richard Davey. "If the train does see customers coming in from the parking lot, they do wait."

Amtrak suspended service on the New York-Boston line for a few hours Thursday morning. Hundreds of flights in and out of Logan International Airport were canceled, starting Wednesday evening.

At noon Thursday, Logan spokesman Phil Orlandella said it will be a while before the airport is back to normal.

"The airlines are telling us a little more volume late this afternoon and this evening," he said. "But in my opinion things won't be back to normal until some time tomorrow."

The snow appeared to cause a garage roof to collapse in Lynn, trapping two men for two hours. The men were rescued by city firemen at about 8:15 a.m.

Police also reported other roof collapses in Avon and West Bridgewater. There were no injuries.

More than 600 schools, including Boston, were canceled Thursday, providing parents — perhaps — with some snow removal helpers.

According to unofficial National Weather Service reports, southern Worcester County bore the brunt of the snowfall, with Milford reporting 16.4 inches of snow, Millbury with 15.7 inches and Northbridge with 15 inches. Gloucester, North Attleboro, Hampden and Brockton also reported a foot or more.

WBUR's Benjamin Swasey compiled this report, which also contains material from the AP.

This program aired on January 27, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

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