Massive storm hits US

NEW YORK — A massive winter storm paralyzed much of the US East Coast on Thursday and Friday, dumping as much as 46 centimeters of snow from the Carolinas to Maine. It also caused flooding on the streets of Boston due to swelling storm tides, forced the cancellation of nearly 5,000 flights and closed businesses, offices and schools.

Forecasters expected the storm — which some meteorologists classified as a “bomb cyclone” for its sharp drop in atmospheric pressure — would be followed immediately by a blast of cold air that could break records in more than two dozen cities and bring wind chills as low as -40 C during the weekend.

From Baltimore, Maryland, to Caribou in Maine, efforts were underway to clear roadways of ice and snow as wind chill temperatures were to plunge during the day, reaching -40 C in some parts after sundown, according to the National Weather Service.

Utility companies across the East worked to repair downed power lines early on Friday as about 21,000 customers remained without electricity, down from almost 80,000 the day before, and issued warnings that temperatures may become dangerously low.

“If the temperature in your home begins to fall, we recommend taking shelter elsewhere until service can be restored. You can find warming centers by contacting local authorities,” National Grid power company, which serves Massachusetts, said on Twitter.

Airlines canceled 4,000 flights on Thursday and hundreds more on Friday, according to FlightAware.com, an online tracking service.

New York City was among the hardest hit, with up to about 20 cm of snow in Manhattan and 38 cm on the eastern end of Long Island. Wind gusts topped 65 kilometers per hour in Manhattan and neared 95 km/h on Long Island.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said it could feel like -30 C on Friday and Saturday nights with the wind chill.

“This is a serious, serious storm,” he said at a news conference.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the southern part of the state, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency for several counties.

DARREN ORNITZ / REUTERS A man walks through blinding snow to cross the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Thursday as a winter storm brought heavy snow and extreme cold to the US East Coast.

JULIO CORTEZ / ASSOCIATED PRESs A group of men help a motorist after his vehicle got stuck in the snow on Thursday in Asbury Park, New Jersey. A massive winter storm swept from the Carolinas to Maine, dumping snow along the East Coast and bringing strong winds that may usher in possible record-breaking cold.