Unitil Corporation, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is preparing for a winter storm forecasted to impact the area tonight through Tuesday. Snow, rain, freezing rain and sleet are all possible throughout the duration of the storm.
According to the most recent forecasts, as much as 5-10 inches of snow are possible in Unitil’s New Hampshire service areas. Lower snow totals are likely in Unitil’s Massachusetts territory, but there is an increased chance of freezing rain in this region, with local totals of 0.1-0.25 inches of ice accretion possible for the Fitchburg, Massachusetts area. Icing has the potential to weigh down branches, which may break and fall, causing damage to electric infrastructure.
Based on the current forecast, Unitil has secured additional crews in advance of the storm. Unitil will continue to closely monitor conditions and will be prepared to escalate its response further, including the opening of our system emergency operations center, if conditions warrant doing so.
"Mixed precipitation events present challenges to forecasters, as temperature fluctuations of even one or two degrees can have a significant impact on whether the majority of the precipitation falls as snow, sleet or freezing rain. As the storm unfolds, crews will be standing by and we will be ready to adapt our plan to what is expected to be rapidly evolving conditions."
Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O'Meara
We recommend our customers remain similarly prepared by checking and making an inventory of the following items:
- Flashlights and fresh batteries
- A battery-operated radio and clock
- Bottled water, canned foods and a manual can opener
- A list of important phone numbers and a car charger for cell phones if applicable
- A first aid kit.
Icy conditions have the potential to take wires to the ground. In the event of downed wires, assume all cables and wires that have fallen or dangling are energized and stay away. Be sure to avoid wet ground or puddles near a downed lined because water conducts electricity. In addition, keep away from all flooded and debris laden areas because they may be hiding downed lines. Stay in a safe place and avoid driving in damaged areas so you don’t interfere with rescue and restoration efforts.
Unitil will be communicating throughout the event through Public Service Announcements (PSAs), our website, our customer call center and through the media. We also encourage customers to follow along with our storm updates via Facebook, our Twitter feed (@Unitil) and we will be providing real-time outage information online at unitil.com/map.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR MEDIA: Unitil asks that when reporting outage information, outlets time stamp the information. Outage numbers change hourly and we wish to make sure the information customers receive is consistent and understandable. Re-Tweets and re-posting of old information without referencing a time can create confusion.
Customers experiencing outages should call 1-888-301-7700. You can also report outages online at unitil.com/report-outage.
