How to track Massachusetts power outages as a major snowstorm brings widespread travel and utility disruptions

A heavy snow event tests the region’s electric grid and response systems

Massachusetts residents faced a high-impact winter storm from Sunday, Jan. 25, into Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, with snowfall totals exceeding a foot in parts of Greater Boston and higher totals reported in several communities across the state. Snowfall at Boston’s Logan Airport reached 16.7 inches by 6 a.m. Monday, as the storm disrupted travel, closed schools and offices, and raised the risk of localized power outages tied to accidents, downed branches and stress on utility infrastructure.

The storm’s timing placed the most hazardous conditions overnight into Monday morning, complicating cleanup and making restoration work more difficult in areas where heavy snow and poor visibility limited access for repair crews. State leaders urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, while some government operations shifted to remote work for non-essential staff.

Where outage maps fit — and what they can (and cannot) show

During major storms, outage maps become a primary tool for tracking service interruptions, restoration progress and estimated restoration times. In Massachusetts, there are two main ways the public typically monitors outages:

• Utility-specific outage maps, which are designed to provide customer-level detail and estimated restoration times for affected areas.

• A statewide, town-level outage map that aggregates interruptions across multiple regulated electric companies.

The statewide view is useful for understanding broader regional impacts. However, it does not display interruptions by road and does not include outages in areas served by municipally owned electric utilities. Residents in municipal-light territories generally must rely on their local utility for status updates.

How to report an outage and get restoration updates

For customers who lose power, the recommended reporting pathway is to contact the electric company directly, either through the company’s outage map tools or by phone. Restoration estimates are typically provided on the utility’s own outage map rather than the statewide aggregation view.

When storms cause scattered outages across different service territories, restoration timelines can vary widely based on damage type, access conditions and the need to clear hazards before repairs begin.

Public safety reminders during outages

Officials continued to emphasize reducing travel during peak storm conditions, both to prevent crashes and to keep roads open for emergency response and utility repair crews. Residents needing non-emergency assistance during outages were directed to community support channels, including 211, and warming centers were made available for those unable to safely remain at home without heat.

With lingering snow expected after the heaviest bands moved through, the storm’s impacts were likely to extend beyond snowfall totals, as cleanup, access and temperature conditions continued to shape restoration work and household safety across Massachusetts.