Utility companies alert residents of possible outages during storm, damaging wind gusts

A gusty storm bringing heavy rain for Southern New England and snow up north is expected to cause widespread power outages.Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff

Local utility companies are notifying residents around New England to prepare for possible power outages as a nor’easter packing heavy snow and drenching rain moves into region on Wednesday.

Eversource officials told customers in Massachusetts Tuesday that they were “pre-positioning” hundreds of crews in advance of the storm, which is expected to bring gusty winds and heavy rain across the state, and possibly snowfall in higher elevations.

“We’ve been monitoring the heavy snow, rain, ice and strong winds headed our way tomorrow afternoon, and we’re pre-positioning hundreds of crews and materials to respond to any damage as quickly as safely allows,” Eversource officials wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Please be sure to save our contacts— we’re there when you need us!”

Up to a foot of heavy, wet snow is forecast for parts of Northern New England, prompting power companies there to send out alerts to their thousands of customers. The storm is expected to last through Friday morning in northern regions.

Unitil Corp., a gas and electric utility that serves Maine and New Hampshire as well as Massachusetts, issued a spring snowstorm advisory on Tuesday, warning customers that as much as 6 to 10 inches of snow are possible in inland areas within Unitil’s service region.

“While snow totals may be lower in coastal areas as rain mixes in, wind gusts may reach 55 mph in these regions, and overall snow consistency may be wetter and heavier in nature,” the advisory stated. “Wet, heavy snow has the potential to weigh down trees and tree branches, pulling them into electric infrastructure and causing outages.”

Expected snowfall totals throughout Northern New England.Boston Globe

Unitil officials said they “proactively secured additional third-party crew resources” in advance of the storm in case outages occur, and recommended that customers have flashlights and fresh batteries on hand, as well as portable chargers and batteries for mobile devices, bottled water, a first aid kit, canned food, and a manual can opener in case of an emergency.

“In spring storms like this, only a few degrees warmer or colder in the upper atmosphere can make all the difference between whether we see wet, heavy snow, a more normal snow, or simply rain, and each of these outcomes can have very different effects on the system,” Unitil external affairs director Alec O’Meara said in a statement. “Because of this uncertainty, we are monitoring this coming storm very closely due to its potential size and duration, with a high focus on how far northward rain mixing develops.”

Unitil officials said they would be providing storm updates on Facebook and X (@Unitil) and real-time outage information online at unitil.com/map.

National Grid also said their crews have been preparing for the storm to impact the region Tuesday evening through late Thursday (for Southern New England).

“The primary concerns associated with this storm include heavy rainfall, potential snowfall, and strong gusting winds across #MA including hazardous wind gusts that could reach up to 60 mph,” National Grid officials wrote in a post on X. “Strong wind gusts have the potential to damage trees and knock down power wires, causing power outages in impacted locations.”