Powerful nor’easter slamming East Coast
Ferocious storm could drop 18 inches of snow, produce rare “thundersnow”
NEW YORK – Millions of commuters felt the blustery might of a nor’easter Wednesday that threatens to linger from Maine to the Mid-Atlantic in coming days, bringing another round of power outages after a similar storm crippled dozens of communities.
The storm’s ferocity has even brought with it occasional bouts of lightning and thunder — a rare occurrence known as “thundersnow.”
At midafternoon in New York City’s Midtown, heavy snow swirled around skyscrapers as commuters and pedestrians scurried along streets. Many were headed home early with at least eight more hours of snowfall in the forecast.
Jackson Jones of Hoboken, N.J., said his employer sent him home early. “It was decided it was best not to be stuck in the city,” the financial analyst said.
Governors declared states of emergency and airlines canceled thousands of flights. An estimated 60 million people in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware were in the storm’s path. By the time the storm eases Thursday evening, snow accumulations could easily surpass 1 foot for areas west of the I-95 corridor. A few spots could get up to 18 inches.
The heavy, wet snow combined with strong winds put millions of homes and businesses at risk of losing power.
More than 2,100 flights had been canceled for Wednesday and even a few for Thursday as airlines struggled with schedules. More than 540 flights — 275 departures and 268 arrivals — had been canceled at Newark Liberty alone early Wednesday.
Bacon and Rice reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Ben Mutzabaugh and Zlati Meyer