Massachusetts braced for the first big snowstorm of the year on Thursday.
"To state the obvious, it's snowing," Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said at a noon press conference. The effects of that snow will vary from town to town and Patrick asked residents to pay attention to local public safety instructions.
Patrick released state employees at 3 p.m. and said he'd call up 400 National Guard members to help as needed.
"Temperatures like this with wind chill is a very dangerous circumstance and the impact can come on quickly," Patrick warned. "Excessive exposure can lead to frostbite and hypothermia."
And excessive winds can lead to power outages. Massachusetts Secretary of Energy Rick Sullivan said utilities have filed "adequate" plans to cope with that.
"The biggest concerns will be later in the evening when the winds pick up... the plans are filed but it will be the execution on the ground that we are closely monitoring."
The governor is planning to give another update around 6:15 this evening.
