Snow, rain muck up morning commute
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
A mucky mix of snow, rain, and ice slowed the morning commute as more than 2 inches of snow fell in Boston and spinouts and black ice tripped up traffic across the state.
North of the city, Lawrence received more than 4 inches of snow and a 28-year-old Lawrence man who wasn’t wearing a seat belt was killed in a crash on Interstate 495 in Haverhill. In New Bedford and Dartmouth, minor crashes gummed up traffic. As a precaution, State Police dropped the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike to 40 miles per hour.
But there is good news.
"The snow is over in Greater Boston within Route 128," said Bill Simpson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton.
That brings even better news.
"I don’t foresee any big traffic problems this afternoon," said Jeff Larson, general manager of Smart Route Systems, which monitors local traffic.
Rain is expected to wash away the snow and eventually the precipitation will taper off over the next several hours. Temperatures will top out at 38 or 39 degrees, Simpson said. This afternoon a low pressure system off the coast is expected to bring a blast of cold air and a howling wind that will blow 40 miles per hour.
The cold wind is expected to keep blowing through Tuesday. But forecasters don’t expect another chance of snow until the end of the week.
The fatal accident in Haverhill occurred at 10:50 p.m. near Exit 51. According to a preliminary investigation by State Police, Eduardo Delarosa, 28, of Lawrence, lost control of his 2003 Acura sedan and hit the median guardrail on southbound I-495. The Acura was struck by a truck driven by Troy Cleaves, 40, of Brewer, Maine. Delarosa, who police said was not wearing a seat belt, was taken by ambulance to Lawrence General Hospital and pronounced dead.
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