Historic Winter Storm Paralyzes Travel and Power Across Northeastern United States
A powerful winter storm swept across the eastern United States,
dumping record-breaking snowfall and triggering widespread disruption across several states.
Rhode Island and Massachusetts recorded some of the heaviest snow totals,
with certain areas receiving nearly 37 inches (94 cm).
In New York City’s Central Park, snowfall surpassed 19 inches, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Authorities warned of extremely dangerous travel conditions, particularly in New York,
where officials described road situations as nearly impossible.
More than 600,000 homes and businesses across the East Coast experienced power outages,
with New Jersey and Massachusetts among the hardest-hit states.
Winter storm alerts extended from North Carolina up to northern Maine, and parts of eastern Canada also faced severe weather warnings.
Forecasters indicated that snowfall would continue into Monday, with coastal areas in the Northeast expected to accumulate between 1 and 2 feet (30–61 cm) by Tuesday morning.
Rhode Island, the smallest US state, appears to have experienced its most severe snowstorm on record. Providence, the state capital, measured 36 inches (91 cm) of snow, surpassing the previous record of 28.6 inches set in February 1978.
State officials implemented travel bans in Rhode Island and neighboring Connecticut to reduce risks.
Later, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also introduced restrictions on non-essential driving and reduced speed limits on major highways, urging residents to remain indoors.
In Massachusetts alone, nearly 300,000 customers lost electricity, including a significant majority in Barnstable County, home to Cape Cod.
New York City, home to more than eight million residents, temporarily shut down roads, highways, and bridges as part of an emergency travel ban before lifting restrictions later in the day.
Concerns also grew in Connecticut and New Jersey about falling trees and branches worsening road safety and increasing power failures.
Air travel was severely affected nationwide. Flight tracking data showed that more than 5,700 flights within, into, or out of the United States were cancelled.
Nearly all departures from LaGuardia Airport and JFK Airport in New York were grounded,
while Boston Logan, Newark Liberty, and Philadelphia International airports also reported massive cancellations.
Disruptions are expected to continue into Tuesday, with thousands more flights likely to be cancelled, particularly in Boston and New York.
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