Millions stuck at home as historic blizzard hits NYC
A massive snowstorm sweeps across the northeastern United States from Maryland to Maine; Strong wind and snowstorm warnings are forcing millions of people to stay at home due to transportation closures and school and workplace closures.
The storm dumped up to 60 cm of snow on some parts of the northeast of the metropolis, as previously fallen snowdrifts had just melted; except for the gray mountain piles in parking lots and on the side of the road.
Authorities declared an emergency from Delaware to Massachusetts, and hundreds of thousands of people struggled with power outages due to downed power lines.
Although the snow has moved north and tapered off in other areas, the National Weather Service said another storm is being tracked toward the end of this week that could bring more snow to the region.
The weather service described Monday’s storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/northeast off the northeast coast.”
A bomb cyclone occurs when the pressure of a storm drops by a certain amount over a 24-hour period; This occurs mostly in autumn and winter, when cold Arctic air can reach the south and collide with warmer temperatures.
New York City and Boston canceled public school classes on Monday, while Philadelphia switched to online learning.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the “first traditional snow day since 2019.” However, he said the class would be held in person on Tuesday.
He traveled to X to encourage people to sign up for emergency snow shoveling efforts “as we weather this historic storm.”
In Lower Manhattan, snowplow crews appeared to outnumber commuting office workers, and pedestrians walked freely on streets normally blocked by morning traffic.
“It’s very quiet here, except for the howling winds,” said Luis Valez, a doorman at a residential tower just off Wall Street, as he cleared the path.
Karen Smith and Adele Bawden are tourists visiting New York from the United Kingdom.
“This morning we were dancing in the middle of the road in Times Square during rush hour,” Bawden said.
Many states, as well as New York, Philadelphia and other cities, have declared emergencies.
More than 5,000 flights into and out of the United States were canceled on Monday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
Most were canceled in New York, New Jersey and Boston. Rhode Island’s TF Green International Airport announced Monday that all airport operations have been temporarily suspended.
DoorDash suspended deliveries in New York City overnight as public transportation ground to a halt in some areas.
Power outages due to the storm plunged more than 500,000 customers along the East Coast into darkness early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages across the country; among them were more than 212,000 customers in Massachusetts and 128,000 customers in New Jersey.
About 10,000 customers were without power in the Long Island suburb Monday morning. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said utility crews would restore power as soon as possible, but winds of 50 mph or higher could delay action.
Severe delays were reported on many subway lines in New York City, while the Long Island Railroad was completely suspended until further notice.
Some Metro-North commuter trains between New York City and its suburbs were delayed by up to an hour. New Jersey Transit suspended bus and rail service “until further notice.”
The weather service said strong winds could cause whiteout conditions and warned of a “Potentially Historic/Catastrophic Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor.
“Such winds, combined with heavy, wet snow, invite tree damage and extended power outages,” said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Boston office.
“What we’re most concerned about is extreme snow amounts combined with wind.”
Meanwhile, outreach workers tried to coax homeless New Yorkers into shelters and warming centers.
Several landmarks and cultural institutions were closed on Monday, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Washington, D.C.’s Arlington National Cemetery. Broadway shows were cancelled.
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