( 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 , mobilizing 250 National Guardsmen as a precaution , as officials warned of blizzard conditions across the state and into southern New Hampshire . `` The wind is blowing very hard and that 's what most unpleasant , '' said Brookline , Massachusetts , resident Bonnie Sashin . `` It 's blowing ice into your face . '' 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 expected 8 to 16 inches of snow . Snowfall in the heaviest areas reached rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour , according to the National Weather Service . Some residents in Brattleboro , Vermont , donned cross-country skis as they traveled down snow-jammed roads , while their neighbors heaved shovelfuls of snow out of driveways and sidewalks , said town resident Caleb Clark . More than 15,000 households were without power in Massachusetts , 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 . `` This is the second major storm we are battling in less than three weeks , '' said Christopher E. Root , National Grid senior vice president of electricity operations . `` We ask that our customers bear with us and be patient as our crews work in challenging weather conditions to restore service as safely and quickly as possible . '' Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said the city 's snow emergency and parking ban will be lifted at 9 a.m. Thursday , but public schools will be closed as crews continue clearing roads . He urged citizens to use public transportation . Amtrak said it has suspended rail service between New York and Boston , and between Springfield , Massachusetts , and New Haven , Connecticut , due to severe weather and fallen trees , according to its website . Every state except Florida now has snow on the ground , including Hawaii , according to CNN meteorologist Sean Morris . High winds hampered cleanup efforts across the region , particularly along the New England coast , forecasters predicted . A band of moderate to heavy snow is expected to continue to move north along the coast , with heavy precipitation leaving southern Maine by Wednesday night , officials said . New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he lifted the `` weather emergency '' on Wednesday , as salting crews and snow plows finished clearing city streets . The mayor said that 30 vehicles had been towed as a result of the storm . That number is in stark contrast to the thousands of cars , buses and ambulances left stranded last month after cleanup crews struggled to plow streets days after the storm . Bloomberg -- who faced sharp criticism over the slow emergency response -- said New York was better equipped to tackle Wednesday 's storm . More than 1,700 flights were canceled at the New York area 's three major airports , while hundreds more were grounded at Boston 's Logan International Airport , officials said . General manager at LaGuardia Airport Thomas Bosco said many airlines pre-emptively canceled flights ahead of the weather Wednesday to avoid massive delays that plagued airports during last month 's holiday blizzard . Philadelphia declared a snow emergency Tuesday night , while public schools there and in Boston were closed . Non-emergency state employees did not have to report to work Wednesday , according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency . But New York City public schools remained open , with field trips canceled , according to the office of the city 's schools chancellor . The city 's public schools have closed six times -- for a total of eight days -- since 1978 , the office said . In the South , normally bustling cities such as Atlanta and Charlotte , North Carolina , grappled with the unusual onslaught of ice and snow this week . AirTran Airways spokesman Christopher White said the airline is in `` full recovery mode '' to get traffic back to normal in the coming days at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport . The company canceled more than 90 Wednesday flights , after more than 260 flights were taken off the schedule Tuesday . Both Delta Air Lines and AirTran were offering one-time flight changes with no fees for a limited period . Delta canceled 1,200 flights Wednesday and has canceled 80 for Thursday because of snow in the Northeast . The airline said its Atlanta operations have returned to normal . CNN 's Chad Myers , Jason Kessler , Dave Alsup , Rob Marciano , Tristan Smith , Moni Basu , Holly Yan , Andy Rose , Nick Valencia and Brian Walker contributed to this report .
Boston to lift snow emergency Thursday . Massachusetts mobilizes 250 National Guardsmen amid blizzard conditions . Hundreds of flights are canceled at Boston 's Logan International Airport . More than 15,000 households are without power in Massachusetts .