A Year Ago Today: 'Snowtober' Storm Put Halloween On Hold

Note: Information about the local response to Hurricane Sandy wlil be posted on this website as it becomes available.

One ironic thing about Hurricane Sandy is that it is affecting the region one year to the day that a freak snowstorm slammed much of Eastern Massachusetts.

A check of Wakefield finds that more than 3,000 people had their electricity service . Others in Merrimack Valley communities such as Westford and Chelmsford would see their electricity service disrupted for significantly longer.

Last year in Lynnfield on October 29, hundreds of people had their power knocked out for varying amounts of time. The presence of wires down on the street a couple of days later prompted town officials to .

The 2011 “Snowtober” storm struck at a time when there were still many leaves on the trees. That, combined with snow and ice, led to more trees and branches falling than would have been seen in a typical snowstorm.

About 7,000 homes in Lynnfield and surrounding communities served by Reading Municipal Light Department were affected, .

Looking a bit further ahead in the week - the forecast for Halloween night 2012 from the National Weather Service finds a 50% chance of precipitation that night with showers likely during the day and a high around 62.

More information will be provided about the storm and the response and cleanup. Readers are also welcome to send information about local conditions, such as blackouts and flooding, as well as photos, to william.laforme@patch.com or to share information in the comment boxes below.