Winter Alert: Another storm approaches New England, Maine, and Massachusetts

Winter storms brought snow, ice, freezing rain, and dangerous driving conditions to New England states on Wednesday, as the region braced for more unpleasant weather in the coming days.

The combination of rain, snow, and sleet blanketed the region, causing dozens of school districts to close for the day or delay their start. Snow accumulations were not expected to be high, but road conditions made it unsafe to run buses on Wednesday morning, the districts said.

Approximately 0.1 inches of ice covered some areas, slightly less than the amount that can cause power outages from falling tree branches, but more than enough to create unsafe roads. Nevertheless, there were a few thousand power outages, mainly in Maine, with several hundred in Massachusetts.

"With icy conditions forecast during morning and afternoon bus routes, ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our top priority," stated the administration of Maine's Regional School Unit 21, based in Kennebunk.

All six New England states were under winter weather advisories from the National Weather Service, and the service issued several hazardous weather outlook statements for northern areas that could be affected by winter storms in the coming days. The possibility of heavy rain followed by falling temperatures could create dangerous driving conditions later in the week, the service said.

Highway authorities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts reported numerous traffic accidents and vehicle spin-outs in those states, although no serious injuries were reported by Wednesday morning. At least five New England airports, including Logan International Airport in Boston, had aircraft being treated with de-icing fluid for snow and ice.

In southern Maine, the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory despite the potential for only 2 inches of snow in some areas, said Jerry Combs, a meteorologist for the service in Gray, Maine. And there could be more dangerous weather on the way, as another system is expected to bring rain from Friday night into Saturday, followed by the potential for snow from Saturday into Sunday, he noted.

The service generally refrains from issuing an advisory unless there is a potential for 4 inches of snow, but other types of messy weather made it necessary on Wednesday, Combs noted.

"That was because of the mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow," he said. "That makes road conditions much worse."