Yesterday's slush fest was expected to harden into a solid freeze by this morning, encasing Eastern Massachusetts in a coat of ice.
And if that does not inspire a second cup of coffee or cocoa, consider this: Gusts of wind, 50 miles per hour, are expected to blow through the area until noon, dropping windchill temperatures below zero in some instances and rat tling vehicles on the roadways.
Despite some black ice on neighborhood streets, state officials do not expect heavy delays on the highways, thanks to overnight salting and the good fortune of weekend timing for yesterday's storm.
"Secondary roads could be an issue and basically, people just getting down their front stairs," said Peter Judge, public information officer for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service said snow that was not cleared last night is probably ice by now. With overnight temperatures in the teens, some car doors may not open this morning without extra elbow grease, and clearing windshields may be a hassle. Boston police encouraged drivers to clear snow and ice from their cars before hitting the road today to avoid lobbing ice projectiles at highway speed.
"There's definitely going to be a lot of slippery spots. This is just basically the leftovers of the storm," said Mike Ekster, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Taunton.
Schools will be closed in Melrose and Lawrence, but Boston public school officials had not decided last night whether to open today. Chief Operating Officer Jim McIntyre said School Superintendent Carol Johnson would make a decision about 4:30 a.m. "Based on the information we have now, we probably will have school [today]," McIntyre said.
Officials were relieved that most residents heeded advice to stay home yesterday, leaving nearly 4,000 snow fighters free to plow and treat the state's roads of the 2 to 11.7 inches of snow dropped by the latest storm. The downfall on Thursday, by contrast, peaked during afternoon rush hour and left drivers stranded for hours on clogged roads. Plowers and emergency workers struggled to get through, and public officials blamed one another for the commuting mess.
One of the few big gatherings of people yesterday, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to watch the Patriots game, also brought about some of the toughest traffic snarls. Drivers coming in and out of the stadium reported long delays, and would-be tailgaters chose to enjoy pregame festivities inside their warm cars. But game traffic was mitigated by a record number of people - 5,300 - using commuter rail service to attend the game, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Air travelers may have had the toughest time of it. About 300 flights, a third of those in and out of Logan International Airport, were canceled, in part because of ripple effects as the storm hit other areas of the country. The airport operated using a single runway until 12:30 p.m., when a second one opened. Logan's powerful plows - large Oshkosh machines that move 5,000 tons of snow per hour - were not enough to prevent some misery in the terminal.
"It's been a mess here," said Elaine Otte of Roxbury, who waited nearly 11 hours to board a US Airways flight to Charlotte, N.C., so she could connect to a flight to the Dominican Republic. "After four hours of weather, which is understandable, there wasn't proper communication."
Another stranded passenger ran out of diapers and baby formula. "Nobody is taking responsibility," said Doreen Scolnic, trying to rebook a flight to the Bahamas for herself and seven relatives, including her 4-month-old granddaughter.
There were no accidents reported at Logan. But a US Airways Express plane at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I., skidded off a runway during landing at about 5 p.m., said Patti Goldstein, spokeswoman for the airport. None of the 34 passengers or crew on the flight from Philadelphia was injured. The airport remained open, but all runways closed, causing substantial delays.
The MBTA's commuter rail system had a freak accident at about 1 p.m., when a snowplow clearing an adjacent road blew chunks of ice into an inbound train along the Worcester-Framingham line. Eleven windows were damage, and a 50-year-old man, the only passenger on the coach, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, said Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the MBTA.
Another person was hurt when the roof caved in at a pharmacy on Market Street in Brighton about 5 p.m., buckling under the weight of snow that had piled up over the last few days. Four employees and one customer were in the store at the time. Injuries to the unidentified customer were slight, firefighters said. Afterward, the building was closed, and police guarded it to prevent looting of pharmaceuticals. Authorities also announced plans to close the street through the morning commute.
For most Boston area residents, the day was uneventful. Even the malls were emptier than usual for this time of year.
"We didn't want to risk our lives for this," said Marcie Moline, who waited until midday before trekking with her husband and children from their Winthrop home to the Burlington Mall.
Store employees said the light turnout would probably mean an intense rush next weekend.
Brian R. Ballou and Christopher L. Gasper of the Globe staff, and Globe correspondents Emma Stickgold, Sarah E. Metcalf, and John S. Forrester contributed to this report.
