A major storm dumped up to four inches of snow in Andover on Thursday, closing public schools, causing power outages and creating dangerous conditions for drivers.
The storm, which affected most of northeast Massachusetts, led Andover residents to scramble for salt, clear their walkways and adjust their routines.
Despite the closures, residents tried to make the most of the day — with some students sleeping in till noon and some parents taking their children out for ice cream.
Phillips Academy cancelled multiple classes on Thursday due to a loss of power in some of its buildings. Classes held in buildings with functioning electricity were not cancelled.
Brandon Xu, a Phillips Academy junior who did not have class, said he spent his snow day catching up on sleep, hanging out with friends and enjoying a loaded cheeseburger at UBurger on Main Street.
“I woke up at around 8-ish, checked my phone, saw no classes, so I went back to sleep,” Xu said with a chuckle.
Thursday’s snowfall was the first in a series of storms expected to occur in the area. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for Saturday night into Sunday morning with potential accumulation of 7 to 10 inches.
Town officials said they are prepared to handle the projected weekend storm.
“We’re going to be in this constant mode of responding to snow [incidents] for at least the foreseeable future,” said Carlos Jaquez, the director of Public Works of Andover. “Obviously, I’ll ask for people to have patience.”
“We take storm by storm, and do the best we can for public safety,” said Dan Vail, a public works employee, as he shoveled snow and salted the sidewalks outside Town Hall.
Thursday’s storm began in the morning, shuttering the town’s public schools because school officials were concerned icy roads would create hazardous conditions for student walkers and drivers. Officials said schools will reopen on Friday.
Residents and town employees tried to make most of the conditions.
“It’s been nice to see the snow,” said Andover resident Pam Sintros, who visited four different stores looking for snow-melting salt, including at CVS.
“I went to Ace, Target and Walmart,” Sintros said. “I tried here, and they didn’t have it.”
Sintros said she uses a plow service and salts her driveway and home steps.
“I usually always put it on the steps because Amazon’s there, so I always feel bad,” she said.
Ryan Hart, a snowplow driver for Matthes Landscaping out of Salem, N.H., said he expected to work 16 hours Thursday, after starting work mid morning. By 4 p.m., he said he had cleared eight parking lots.
The Lajara family made their way to Caffe Nero on Thursday evening to grab a quick bite of pastries, commemorating their daughter’s first snow day. As the couple ate, their 4-year-old daughter took advantage of the new scenery, sprinting throughout the cafe, dodging the legs of other customers inside.
“They made a good call,” Lajara said, regarding the decision to close school. “Drop-off for the kids this morning would have been tricky with the roads being bad.”
Standing behind the counter with a smile on her face, Robbin Smith, one of the owners of the Uptown Gelato and Boba, reminisced about the students and mothers who came into her store on the snowy day. She said a lot people enjoyed a cold gelato and taro hot cocoa.
“I always show up for work. It doesn’t matter if it’s 200 inches, I’m going to be here. We’re always open. We don’t close.” she said.
Other business owners expressed similar sentiments.
“Of course, I will open the daycare. People need it,” said Natasha Tenenbaum, the director of Andover Children’s Academy. “You have to have milk. We are [like] milk and bread and butter. We have to be open.”
Bryce Williams, lead meteorologist at National Weather Service Boston, said the upcoming weekend storm is primarily a concern for people who work overnight hours on Saturday night or are on the roads Sunday morning.
“We want to limit the amount of drivers out there when we have snow and ice on the road,” Williams said. “If you don’t have to be on the roads, we encourage you to just stay home.”
This story was published as part of a collaboration between Andover News Services and the Department of Journalism in Boston University’s College of Communication. It was written by a team of journalists taught by Professor Meghan E. Irons.