Topline
A powerful winter storm swept up the East Coast on Saturday, bringing snow from North Carolina to Maine—with a potentially record-breaking amount forecast for Massachusetts and Rhode Island—and bringing travel to a halt in the region, where about 55 million people were under winter weather alerts.
Snowfall blankets the Times Square in New York City, United States as massive snow storm hits the … [+]
Key Facts
Portions of New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine were under blizzard warnings from the National Weather Service, which could lead to whiteout conditions.
The NWS forecasts areas of Massachusetts, including Boston, will receive 24 to 30 inches of snow, which could break the city’s 2003 record of 27.6 inches; Rhode Island is predicted to get 18 to 24 inches of snow, which could break Providence’s snowfall record of 18.3 inches; and Connecticut is forecast to get anywhere between 8 and 24 inches.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said on a local television interview the storm is “going to get quite ugly out there, because it’s coming down fast.”
The NWS said the storm had become a bomb cyclone after it had strengthened rapidly in the early morning hours, which could lead to snow falling at a rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour.
Conditions have slowed or halted travel in many of the affected states: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation issued a highway ban for tractor-trailers, Amtrak canceled all trains between Washington, D.C., and New York and New York to Boston, and officials urged people to stay at home and avoid driving.
More than 110,000 power outages had been reported in Massachusetts, and hundreds of outages had been reported in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
New York City’s Central Park had 5 inches of snow mid-morning and the city was expected to get a total of 8 to 12 inches, while areas of New Jersey, like the Jersey Shore, had accumulations of a foot of snow.
The storm left a dusting of snow from North Carolina to Maryland, while Philadelphia had 6 inches with another 2 to 3 inches possible.
Big Number
3,532. That’s how many flights within, into or out of the U.S. were cancelled Saturday as of 11:00 a.m., according to FlightAware. More than 80% of flights were cancelled at New York’s John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports, Newark Liberty International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport, with 97% cancelled at LaGuardia.
Crucial Quote
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said the storm could lead to the most significant snowfall ever seen in the state. “As we expected, the storm started accumulating overnight and the winds have picked up; we are now seeing significant snowfall and rapid accumulation,” McKee said during a press conference. “This is one of the top snowfalls in the 24-hour period in the history of the state of Rhode Island at this point in time.”
Surprising Fact
The NWS issued wind chill advisories for nearly all of Florida. Northern portions of the state could get temperatures in the teens, and Miami is expected to reach near freezing temperatures overnight. The NWS also warned of iguanas falling from trees in the state due to “subfreezing temperatures that may temporarily paralyze them.”
Further Reading
Winter Storm Set To Hit The Northeast — Here’s What To Expect (Forbes)
Nor’easter slams the Northeast (CNN)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/01/29/ugly-noreaster-hits-east-coast-with-potential-record-breaking-snowfall/