Severe Flooding, Power Outages Across MA With More Heavy Rain On Way

MASSACHUSETTS — Flooded roads, onshore splash, swamps of melting snow, and some wind damage were all left in the wake of the latest winter storm that dumped nearly 5 inches of rain in some cities and towns across the state with wind gusts approaching 70 miles per hour early Wednesday morning.

A springlike day with temperatures well into the 50s and sunshine follows that storm with another similar one set to hit New England late Friday night into early Saturday.

There were mostly scattered power outages on Wednesday morning with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reporting a little less than 5,000 outages across the state as of 10 a.m.

Many of those outages were on Cape Ann with Rockport reporting 925 customers without power, Gloucester at 225 and Hamilton at 117.

A Flood Watch remained in effect in most of Massachusetts through 1 p.m., through the National Weather Service.

The winds roared for a stretch early Wednesday morning with Chatham and Dennis on the Cape recording 65 mph gusts, and Wellfleet at 64.

Hull on the South Shore also hit 64 mph, with Duxbury at 55.

Beverly was the high mark on Cape Ann, according to the NWS, with a recorded gust of 58 mph, Nantucket recorded a gust of 56 mph, New Bedford got pounded along the South Coast at 54 mph, and Logan Airport recorded a gust of 55 mph.

Rain totals were also impressive with Hopkinton hitting 4.7 inches, Wrentham 4.4 inches, Dover 3.7 inches, Bellingham 3.7 inches, Amesbury 3.6 inches and Sutton 3.5 inches.

Flooding was reported in Southborough, Northborough, Plymouth, Saugus, Chelsea, Braintree and other coastal locations with concerns about the Wednesday morning high tide running at 1 to 3 inches of inundation.

Exit 13 in Dorchester was closed at Morrissey Boulevard around the time of high tide on Wednesday, while shore roads were also closed in Salisbury and Newbury approaching Plum Island.

A nice day was on tap for Wednesday with April-like temperatures and continued melting in areas where a heavy snowpack remains.

The unseasonable warmth will remain on Thursday and Friday with high temperatures in the mid-40s across the region both days and minimal re-freezing at night.

That sets the stage for the next storm on Friday night — which is shaping up as a slightly more tame version of Tuesday night’s storm.

The National Weather Service is forecasting rain to develop overnight Friday into Saturday and be heavy at times through Saturday morning. Once again, the temperatures will soar with highs in the upper 50s with rain totals between 1 and 2 inches.

Winds will increase out of the southeast but should not reach the levels of the past 24 hours with peak gusts in the 40s and sustained winds between 25 and 35 mph.

Temperatures will drop back into the 20s on Saturday with more seasonable — and quieter — weather expected through Martin Luther King Jr. Day.