(CNN) -- Snowstorms barreled across New England on Wednesday, canceling flights, closing schools and creating treacherous road conditions for weather-weary travelers.
Massachusetts Gov. Duval Patrick declared a state of emergency as officials warned of blizzard conditions across the state and into southern New Hampshire.
Forecasters said accumulation in scattered areas across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont could reach between 25 and 34 inches, while most areas are expect 8 to 16 inches of snow.
Snowfall in the heaviest areas could reach rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
More than 15,000 households were without power in Massachusetts lated Wednesday afternoon, including thousands of customers in Plymouth County who were affected by a transmission-line outage, according to the National Grid utility company's website.
The hardest-hit areas included Plymouth, Bristol, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties in Massachusetts, the utility company said. CNN
