Powerful Nor'Easter hammers New England

A tree lies across a car in Duxbury, Massachusetts after a powerful early season Nor'Easter delivered winds in excess of 75mph to the region. Over 330,000 residents remain without power Thursday morning, including entire communities. (WBZ)

Residents of coastal New England are cleaning up on Thursday after the first Nor'Easter of the season hammered the region on Wednesday with hurricane-force winds and towering waves.

Winds remain gusty across southern Quebec early Thursday morning, in response to high pressure moving in form the northwest and strong low pressure moving out to sea east of New England. The Nor'Easter produced wind gusts up to 60km/h (37 mph) on Wednesday in Montreal.

The storm was much more impactful across coastal regions of New England, with heavy rain and hurricane-force winds reported. Winds gusted between 75 and 100 mph (119 to 160km/h) in many communities from southern Maine to Rhode Island. Hundreds of trees came down, many onto homes and vehicles. Over 500,000 residents were without power at the height of the storm on Wednesday. Nearly 330,000 remain without power Thursday morning, with dozens of schools closed for a second straight day.

A small aircraft sustained serious damage after being tossed by the wind in New Bedford, Massachusetts on Wednesday. (WBZ)

Thirty foot waves pounded the shoreline, with some roads closed due to flooding. The storm also produced 25 to 100mm (1-4 inches) of rain across the region. Officially just under 15mm fell in Montreal, as we remained on the far western edge of the storm system.

The storm in question developed early in the week off the mid-Atlantic coast, before rapidly intensifying southeast of New England. The system become a weather bomb, with the central pressure dropping more than 24 millibars in less than 24 hours.

The stormy weather pattern is expected to persist, with another system arriving on Saturday. Rain is forecast this weekend in Montreal, likely tapering off to scattered showers in time for Halloween. 

A strong cold front is expected to arrive by next Wednesday, with the possibility of accumulating snow for some portions of southern Ontario, Quebec and northern New England.