Total snow accumulation was 3 to 5 inches in Western Massachusetts, but the snowfall, heavy at times, reduced visibility and covered many area roadways.
SPRINGFIELD — The region’s second snowstorm in three days fouled roads, closed schools and government offices and made for difficult driving conditions for most of Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Total snow accumulation was 3 to 5 inches in Western Massachusetts, but the snowfall, heavy at times, reduced visibility and caused roadways to quickly cover over.
Unlike the weekend snowstorm, Tuesday's storm struck in the middle of the work day, and many schools, businesses and government agencies closed early.
Secretary of State William F. Galvin, serving as acting governor while Gov. Deval L. Patrick is on a trade mission in Asia, issued an order to release all non-emergency state employees by 1:30 p.m. Private employers were asked to consider releasing employees early.
The timing of the storm meant the most intense portion was expected to fall during the evening commute, and Galvin wanted as many vehicles off the roads as possible to make it easier for snow removal.
The snowfall was heavy at times, reducing visibility to half a mile or less.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory through 10 p.m. Tuesday for much of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The storm was forecast to leave between 3 to 5 inches in Western Massachusetts and 5 to 8 inches east of Worcester.
Snowfall totals varied across the region.
Greenfield reported 6.3 inches, while West Springfield reported about 2.5.
At Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, 4.7 inches was measured, roughly the same total for Boston. Fitchburg tallied 6 inches.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported having 2,700 crews out across the road plowing highways, but travel was still difficult. Snow-covered roads remained slick through the evening.
Speed on the Massachusetts Turnpike was reduced to 40 mph from Boston to the New York State Line, and tandem trailers or trucks hauling propane were banned from the pike during the storm.
Interstate 91 was in difficult condition for much of the day, with speeds reduced to 30 mph or less. A Massachusetts State Police trooper described I-91 as “really, really, really bad.”
According to State Police, roads were bad all over the state, and authorities were recommending people stay off them.
“If you don’t have to go out, don’t,” said Trooper Dustin Fitch, a media relations spokesman at State Police headquarters in Framingham.
Bradley remained open, but the storm was causing arrival and departure delays at the airport.
State Police were contending with minor accidents and spinouts on most major highways. Traffic on the Mass Pike was slowed in the evening when a tractor-trailer jackknifed in Charlton, blocking two of three westbound lanes.
Just before 9 p.m., the state Department of Transportation announced all westbound traffic was blocked again, this time by another truck accident in Chicopee.
Nick Morganelli, meteorologist with CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of The Republican and MassLive, said temperatures reached a high of 12 degrees during the day after falling below zero overnight.
“At Westover in Chicopee, the low was 8 below zero,” he said.
Temperatures overnight Tuesday were expected to remain around 10 degrees, which he said would contribute to slick conditions on roadways.
Cold temperatures are expected to continue on Wednesday before rising toward the end of the week.