Radar from around 8:30 a.m. on Friday. (Weather Underground)

A heavy snow squall caused dozens of cars to pile up on Interstate 93 in New Hampshire on Friday morning. Flurries began to fly on I-93 north of Ashland, N.H., around 7 a.m., but within a half hour, what had started as light snow turned into white-out conditions as a heavy band set up that stretched over 50 miles across central New Hampshire.

The accident prompted the northbound side of I-93 to shut down.

Local media reports that by 9:30 a.m., the snow had caused a chain reaction on the interstate near exit 22. Photos shared on social media show flames and smoke from a car fire.

wow

A photo posted by ben (@whatisithatisit) on

Heavy snow lasted through 10 a.m. in the area. No winter weather advisories are in effect for Friday’s snow, though at 10:39 a.m., the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine issued this special weather statement:

(NWS)
(NWS)