Boston Battered By Winter Storm Stella; 2 Killed in New England

Winter Storm Stella brought blizzard conditions that left at least two dead in New England Tuesday, in addition to canceling flights and leaving tens of thousands in the dark. The storm dumped roughly a foot or so of snow on Worcester and surrounding towns by early afternoon and brought major impacts to Boston and other parts of New England.

Police in East Hartford, Connecticut say a man died after being struck by a snow plow truck Tuesday. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at the Willow Arms Apartments. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities say the driver of the plow truck is distraught about the incident and is fully cooperating with the investigation. 

A 16-year-old girl was killed Tuesday after crashing on a snowy roadway in New Hampshire, CBS Boston reports. She was reportedly driving on Cherry Valley Road around 7 a.m. when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. 

Gitford Police said the driver was Ava Doris, the daughter of dispatcher Tim Doris, according to the department's Facebook page. 

(MORE: What to Expect from Winter Storm Stella)

Blizzard conditions began at 10:30 a.m. in Worcester and continued through much of the afternoon, according to weather.com meteorologist Brian Donegan. 

A blizzard refers to snow and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less for 3 hours or longer, and sustained winds of 35 mph or greater or frequent gusts to 35 mph or greater.

While all departures from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks have been canceled, several airlines are planning on landing planes as the winter storm winds down.

Connecticut Airport Authority public information officer Alisa Sisic says passengers on flights scheduled to fly into Bradley after 8 p.m. Tuesday and those planning to meet passengers on those flights are advised to contact their airline for information about the flight itinerary.

The airport is open and snow removal operations are ongoing. Sisci says significant delays and cancellations are expected Wednesday morning, and the airport isn't expected to return to normal flight schedules until late Wednesday afternoon.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker activated the state's emergency operations center and announced the suspension of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) ferry services, and the Mattapan line would be closed and replaced with supplemental bus service.

More than 54,000 homes and businesses were without power Tuesday across Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press.

Police in Massachusetts responded to several crashes Tuesday morning, WHDH.com reports. In one collision, a vehicle lost control in Allston, hit a light pole, spun out and bumped into an MBTA bus. In Lincoln, emergency crews responded to a collision and found an SUV that had slide down an embankment. The driver was not injured.

A family was displaced from their Stoughton home Tuesday after a space heater caught fire, The Enterprise reports. The Stoughton Fire Department responded to the house fire around 7:43 a.m. The two adult residents had already evacuated the house and ran to a neighbor's to call 911. 

The driver of a car that slid off a road and landed in a Stoughton pond managed to free himself before police arrived Tuesday, The Enterprise also reports. The vehicle fell onto the ice on Ames Long Pond and began to fall through into the water. 

All 79 New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets were shut down by the state Liquor Commission Tuesday. Chairman Joseph Mollica said the safety and well-being of the store workers and consumers are "of paramount importance." The stores will reopen Wednesday morning. 

The City of Boston announced schools will be closed Wednesday, but city offices will be open, FOX25 reports. 

Officials issued a coastal flood watch for Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Nantucket. The forecasts projected a 2- to 3-foot storm surge during the early Tuesday afternoon high tide. They also warned of beach erosion and said low-lying areas from Hull to Plymouth are the most susceptible. 

Forecasters also said dangerous wind gusts could reach 70 mph along the coast and 50 mph inland. 

Elsewhere in New England, strong winds buffeted the coast and caused damage in some areas. About 8,500 Rhode Island homes and businesses were without power Tuesday afternoon, National Grid reported.

In New Hampshire, Tuesday was the state's traditional Town Meeting Day, when more than 100 communities hold elections for several local positions, the AP also reported. Several towns delayed elections, but many held them as scheduled, the report added.

"You know, they're hardy New Englanders, and they're coming to vote," Debbie Norris, a candidate for the Hopkinton Budget Committee, told the AP.

More than a foot of snow has fallen in parts of western Massachusetts, where the biggest snowfall totals were reported in New England through Tuesday afternoon.