Boston and other parts of the Northeast took it on the chin from Winter Storm Juno on Tuesday. The blizzard was expected to dump up to two feet of snow along the Atlantic coast, stranding people, toppling trees and knocking out power for thousands of residents, including the entire island of Nantucket.But ever since Hurricane Sandy ravaged the area two years ago, engineers and local power authorities have been looking for tools to soften the weather’s blows.