SNOWSTORM LASHES AMERICA

A taxi drives past piles of snow as a storm sweeps through New York’s Times Square on Tuesday. Winter storm Stella is hammering the US’ northeast with heavy snow, and intensifying winds. Blizzard warnings continue for parts of nine states from Pennsylvania to Maine.

NEW YORK: Winter storm Stella dumped snow and sleet across the northeastern US on Tuesday. Thousands of flights were cancelled and schools closed, but it appeared less severe than initially forecast. Forecast as potentially the most powerful winter storm of the season, it had been set to dump up to two feet of snow in parts of New York and whip the area with winds of up to 95 km per hour causing treacherous whiteout conditions.

But after daybreak, the National Weather Service (NWS) revised down its predicted snow accumulation for the city of New York saying that the storm had moved across the coast. A blizzard warning, which went into effect at midnight, was cancelled for the city and replaced with an advisory for snow and sleet. Traffic was limited in Midtown Manhattan with a few pedestrians out walking as workers spread salt and shoveled snow in Times Square.

“We’re looking at four to six inches across much of New York City maybe just over six inches for northern parts of the city, then lower amounts in Long Island,” meteorologist Joe Pollina said.

— AFP Men plow snow at the Times Square during a snowstorm in New York on Tuesday. Winter storm Stella dumped snow and sleet across the northeastern US, where thousands of flights were cancelled and schools closed.