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Winter Storm Niko hammered New England on Thursday, prompting blizzard warnings, shutting down schools and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. A snow emergency was issued for Boston and thousands were without power Thursday afternoon.

The powerful, fast-moving storm blew into the Massachusetts area early Thursday, making the morning commute treacherous for thousands. At 4 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service confirmed blizzard conditions in Boston for the first time since Jan. 27, 2015.

(MORE: Latest on Winter Storm Niko)

The NWS also reported thundersnow at 10 a.m. with heavy snow falling at their Taunton, Massachusetts, office.

Massachusetts

Schools were closed ahead of Niko throughout the region and hundreds of flights were canceled at Logan International Airport. Schools in Boston will be closed for a second day on Friday, according to the Associated Press. The state’s court system also closed for the day.

Before turning to snow, rain and high tides forced the closure of Boston's Morrisey Boulevard, according to the NWS. Coastal flood warnings were issued in the Boston and Cape Cod areas, with several reports of street flooding in Plymouth.

(MORE: Niko Impacts in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut | Philadelphia)

Nearly 60,000 customers were without power in Massachusetts Thursday evening, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported.

On Wednesday, icy conditions led to numerous wrecks across the state, including a 55-car pileup on Route 128 near Wakefield. Eight people were taken to area hospitals for injuries, none of them life-threatening, according to NBS Boston.

Rhode Island

More than 20,000 Rhode Island customers were without power at the height of the outages, according to the National Grid. Schools and government offices were closed and the Rhode Island General Assembly canceled its session on Thursday, WPRI.com reported.

A few miles from the Connecticut border, Interstate 95 South was impassable after semi trucks got stuck Thursday afternoon, state police told the AP. This led to dozens of cars getting temporarily stranded, WPRI said.

A separate section of I-95 was closed Thursday for the same reason, the AP also said.

On Thursday, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced that all trips after 5 p.m. were canceled. The Kennedy Plaza Transportation Center also closed at 5 p.m.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said authorities responded to about 15 crashes, but there were no serious injuries, the AP reported.

New Hampshire

The search for an elderly man who went missing during Thursday's snowstorm ended with good news.

According to NH1 News, 81-year-old Jack Belliveau never returned to his Manchester home after leaving at 9 a.m. to take his daily walk. Belliveau was later found, although his condition was unknown.

Niko forced hundreds of schools to close on Thursday, and most flights at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport were canceled, the AP reported. More than 500 plows were working statewide, Gov. Chris Sununu said.

Maine

Maine has received more snow than initially expected, with 12 inches recorded near Berwick, according to the NWS.

The snow prompted officials to close government buildings at noon on Thursday.