More than 100,000 Massachusetts residents remained in the dark Monday as utility crews worked around the clock to restore electricity three days after the region's devastating ice storm.

Many public schools, including those in Worcester - the state's second largest city - were closed with local emergency declarations still in effect in dozens of communities.

James Mannion, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said conditions in some of those areas made it too dangerous to hold school.

"Roads aren't safe to drive on and there might be power lines down. It isn't safe for kids to get around," Mannion said early Monday.

As of 4 a.m., Mannion said there were approximately 118,500 electric customers without power, down from a peak of 350,000 in the immediate aftermath of the storm on Friday.
Utilities called in crews from around the country to help in the recovery, but it could be several days before power is restored completely, authorities said.

Mannion said an estimated 2,200 residents without heat or electricity spent the night at 62 emergency shelters around Massachusetts.

Eighty-eight communities have made local emergency declarations, Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement Sunday, adding that he was monitoring the situation and working with state and local officials to ensure residents have access to the resources and assistance they need.

"We thank all the people who have been affected by the storm for their patience and for exercising care during the clean up," the governor said.

The state and local communities will be receiving some financial help for the cleanup. President Bush has signed a federal emergency disaster declaration for the effected counties.

More than 1,000 Massachusetts National Guard troops were deployed in cities and towns hardest hit by the storm.

Access to downed power lines and poles remains the biggest obstacle for workers. While the major roads are cleared, many secondary roads in rural areas remain blocked by fallen trees and tree limbs.

The potential for high winds and rain over the next 24 to 36 hours is likely to affect efforts to restore power and may also create additional outages in Massachusetts, National Grid said in a statement. (AP)