Severe Weather

The winter storm sweeping across New Hampshire Tuesday is bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain in parts of the state.

Just after 11 a.m., utilities reported about 5,500 scattered outages statewide.

With dry weather in the forecast, experts say southern New Hampshire could be headed for a severe drought within the next three weeks.

The southern half of the state has been experiencing moderate drought conditions since June.

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Editor's Note: This post was updated Tuesday at noon with the latest information about flooding.

Some rivers in the North Country remain flooded in the wake of Monday's storm.

The National Weather Service says the Pemigewasset River in Plymouth peaked above 15 feet Tuesday morning. That's 2 feet over its flood stage. The Saco River in Conway also swelled about 2 feet above its flood stage overnight.

Near -flood conditions are reported on the Pemigewasset in Woodstock, and farther south, on the Warner River in Davisville.

Note: Scroll to the bottom of this story for links to utility outage maps and other severe weather resources.

Updated at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday:

Utility crews have restored power to thousands of customers across New Hampshire, and are continuing to address newly reported outages. As of 9 a.m., Eversource reported 444 without electricity, with 167 in Danville and 162 in Sandown. Unitil has 23 customers affected, and N.H. Electric Cooperative around 80.

The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative will get $2.8 million in disaster funds to cover damage to its infrastructure from the Halloween storm of 2017.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the grant will cover more than three-quarters of the Co-op's repair costs. FEMA says it's given New Hampshire more than $7.2 million dollars total under a federal disaster declaration for the storm which caused widespread flooding, infrastructure damage and power outages at the end of October 2017.

The National Weather Service says strong winds will likely blow down large tree limbs and power lines in parts of northern New England.

The weather service has issued a strong wind warning for southern New Hampshire until this evening. It says wind gusts of 60 miles per hour are likely.

Officials say widespread power outages are possible, and travel could be difficult. Eversource, the state's largest utility, reported almost 4,000 customers without power as of mid-morning.

New England’s electric grid operators are preparing for the region’s next nor’easter – whenever it arrives – with a special storm training completed earlier this month.

The control room operators at the nonprofit grid manager, ISO-New England, coordinate electric supply with demand, across all six states, around the clock.

“Visualizing it like a NASA control room … if you have that picture in your head, you’re on the right track,” says Stephen George, ISO’s general manager of operational performance and training.

1:00 PM: 

via The Associated Press

A deluge from the remnants of Hurricane Florence has flooded parts of New Hampshire, forcing firefighters to rescue several people.

In Derry, Fire Chief Chief Mike Gagnon said seven people were rescued by boat Tuesday after water rose 5 to 6 feet outside several small businesses in an industrial area. He said eight others were assisted to higher ground, and about 15 cars were flooded.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's given New Hampshire more than a million dollars in disaster aid after the severe storm that hit nearly a year ago.

The storm in late October 2017 brought heavy flooding and high winds throughout the state.

It washed out major roads, caused widespread power outages, prompted evacuations and destroyed some homes.

UPDATE: The National Weather Service tornado warning for eastern New Hampshire expired at 6 p.m.

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The tornado warning for parts of Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire expired at 6 p.m. 

At Concord Airport, the forecast tonight calls for scattered t-storms before midnight. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds and heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service.

A flash flood watch was issued for southern New Hampshire, with heavy rain in the forecast.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstrom warning for much of Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Rockingham counties until 7 p.m.

The National Weather Service says there's a flash flood watch in effect from Tuesday afternoon through the evening for the area of York, Maine, and in much of southeastern New Hampshire.

When weather observer Tom Padham answered the phone inside the Mount Washington Observatory at the summit around midday Thursday, it was 52 degrees -- inside.

MONDAY Night update: The forecast calls for high wind gusts and drifting snow Monday evening, with a cold front sweeping over New Hampshire for the coming days.

The National Weather Service has a hazardous weather outlook for the region. A combination of strong winds and cold will mean a chance of dangerous wind chill values through the end of the week, the Weather Service says.

Update, 2:30 p.m. - A small number of power outages have resulted from the storm. Eversource reports about 266 customers without electricity, as of 2 p.m. 

1  p.m. -- Snow continues to fall in much of the state, though the storm has turned to sleet and rain in the south-eastern part of New Hampshire. The weather  has resulted in numerous school closings and delays - as well as accidents.

In light of the recent hurricanes slamming the Gulf Coast and Southeastern United States, The Exchange spoke with Perry Plummer, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Jonathan Winter, a Dartmouth professor who has studied increasing precipitation over the last two decades in New England, and two engineers, Jim Gallagher, who specializes in dams, and Fred McNeill, who works in wastewater treatment, about how well New Hampshire is prepared for major weather events. 

Last weekend’s rainstorm did more damage than officials initially assessed. On Thursday evening, twenty local roads remained closed. 

By Wednesday, cities and towns in Grafton County had upped their flood damage tally from $4 million to nearly $12 million. Two state roads, 116 South in Easton and 25A in Orford, will likely remain closed through the coming weekend, although local traffic can access residences in the interim.

On Thursday, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials began a tour of storm damage in the state.

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Carroll, Sullivan, Grafton, Belknap, and Merrimack Counties.

It has also issued a flash flood warning for Grafton, Hillsboro, Belknap, Merrimack, Sullivan, Cheshire, and Carroll Counties.

The weather will clear for tomorrow, with partly cloudy skies in southern New Hampshire, and scattered storms in the North Country. 

Highs tomorrow will be in the low 80s.

The White House will soon be sending federal dollars to New Hampshire to help pay for damage from March’s Nor’Easter.

A major snowstorm is brewing just in time for April Fools' Day in parts of New England.

The National Weather Service says the coastal storm is going to bring heavy, wet snow to Maine and New Hampshire starting Friday and continuing through Saturday afternoon.

Meteorologist Tom Hawley says the "jackpot" is going to be 12 to 18 inches of snow in higher terrain between Nashua and Keene in New Hampshire. He says interior sections of southernmost Maine can expect 6 to 10 inches while lesser amounts are forecast farther north.

Northern New England is preparing for another round of wind. And it's going to be much colder this time.

The National Weather Service says 30 mph gusts projected for Saturday in Maine and New Hampshire won't be as strong as the 50 mph-plus gusts recorded Thursday.

But the wind will be accompanied by plummeting temperatures.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning and an advisory as another storm approaches the Granite State.

The overnight storm will have a more severe impact in the eastern part of the state, with accumulations ranging from less than an inch to as many as ten inches along the seacoast.

For severe weather updates, tune in to NHPR on air or listen to our livestream right here.