Snow, wind hammer US Northeast in ‘life-threatening’ blizzard
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A powerful winter storm engulfed the US Northeast on Monday, blanketing much of the region in heavy snow, blasting coastal areas with high winds and bringing New York City and other major urban centers to nearly a standstill.
The nor’easter – an East Coast storm with winds blowing from the northeast – could bring accumulations of one to two feet to the country’s most densely populated region before tapering off on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
By early Monday evening, the nor’easter had dumped as much as 27 inches of snow in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and 17 inches in parts of New York City. More than 13 inches covered Manhattan’s Central Park, as bands of snow began moving north into New England.
By early evening, Boston reported a mix of snow and rain, the Weather Service’s forecaster Marc Chenard said. But just a few miles inland from the New England coast, up to 12 inches of snow were reported, he said. By yesterday morning, some areas could see 15 inches.
If the winter storm achieves its maximum potential, it would be the first to bring more than two feet of snow in New York City since 2016, when a recordbreaking blizzard dumped 27.5 inches on the country’s most populous city, according to the weather service.
Damaging winds of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour (kph) were forecast along the New Jersey coast.
In Massachusetts, the weather service forecast gusts up to 97 kph on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Power outages driven by wind and heavy, wet snow are possible overnight across the region, but no major outages were reported early Monday evening.
”It’s the storm of the century!” predicted snowplow operator James Carew, 56, of Union, New Jersey, noting he had been clearing snow for 30 years.
The storm’s intensity and rapid snow buildup means multiple visits to clear residential driveways like the one he was plowing in Maplewood, New Jersey.
“This is a 10 out of 10 for storms,” Carew said. Winter storm warnings and weather advisories were in place across the Northeast.
Outdoor subway service in New York City and PATH commuter trains linking Manhattan and New Jersey were suspended. The city closed public school buildings through Wednesday.
New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in the city and 44 other counties, and warned of possible road closures in the hours ahead.
”This is a dangerous situation. A lifethreatening situation,” Cuomo told a noontime news conference. “Expect closures. It’s going to get very bad very quickly.”