FLOODING HITS BOSTON

The heavy showers represented the next chapter of a storm that first moved into the region Tuesday afternoon in the form of snow. By mid-evening Tuesday an army of snowplows and sand trucks worked the roads to keep them open for the morning commute.

But after midnight, the snow lightened into rain. As a result, travelers endured a slow, sloppy commute to work.

By midafternoon the National Weather Service reported rainfall of up to two-and-a-half inches in several communities southwest of Boston. The steady precipitation clogged storm drains and flooded roads, slowing travel to a crawl. Parkways on both the Boston and Cambridge sides of the Charles River were reported flooded but passable, and Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester experienced a similar fate.

MBTA communters weren't spared delays either -- Wollaston Station in Quincy flooded, leaving travelers unable to board or depart trains at the stop.

Flood watches and warnings, originally issued Tuesday night by the NWS in some areas of Central and Western Massachusetts, remain in effect until mid-day tomorrow.

Officials also warned residents in areas hit with several inches of snow to be on alert for collapsing roofs.

The NWS also issued a wind advisory for tonight and tomorrow morning for Cape Cod and the Islands, while the weather for Greater Boston is expected to be fair with temperatures above freezing.