Huge snowstorm in US forces millions to stay home, disrupts flights

(AP) — A massive snowstorm pummeled the northeastern United States from Maryland to Maine on Monday. It forced millions of people to stay home amid strong wind and blizzard warnings, transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures.

Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than two feet (60 centimetres) of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.

Officials declared emergencies, schools closed, including in New York City, which had its first “old-school” snow day in six years, and people grappled with power failures.

Even as the snow moved northward and tapered off in other areas, the National Weather Service said it is tracking another storm that could bring more snow to the region later this week.

The weather service referred to Monday's storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter off the Northeast coast.” A bomb cyclone happens when a storm's pressure falls by a certain amount within a 24-hour period, occurring mainly in the fall and winter when frigid Arctic air can reach the south and clash with warmer temperatures.

While it was paralyzing and potentially dangerous for millions along the Eastern Seaboard, meteorologists found themselves rhapsodizing over the combination of power and beauty.

The storm hit the “Goldilocks situation” of just the right temperature for wet, heavy snow: Any warmer and its precipitation wouldn’t have fallen as snow, any colder and there wouldn’t have been as much moisture in the air to feed that snowfall, said Owen Shieh, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.

In Lower Manhattan, snow shovelers appeared to outnumber commuting office workers, and pedestrians walked freely in streets normally blocked by morning traffic.

“It’s very quiet, except for the howling winds,” said Luis Valez, a concierge at a residential tower just off Wall Street, as he cleared the sidewalk. “A couple of residents have gone out to get their essentials. Other than that, there’s nothing.”

Matthew Wojtkowiak, 57, an attorney, was also shoveling in his Brooklyn neighborhood. “I’m from the Midwest, so this is in the zone,” he said. “Not too bad, not too easy, either.”

Schools were closed, and he said he hoped people would get out and enjoy the snow. “We have sleds at the ready,” he said.

Public transit ground to a halt in some areas, while DoorDash suspended deliveries in New York City overnight into Monday.

Meteorologists said strong winds and heavy, wet snow are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages.

More than 450,000 utility customers nationwide remained in darkness Monday evening, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said Monday evening that subway lines are mostly operational after earlier delays, with the exception of the hard-hit borough of Staten Island, where rail service remained suspended. Delays would likely continue on lines that run outdoors.

Commuter rail service to suburbs to the north and east of the city were expected to resume limited service ahead of the Tuesday morning commute, the MTA said. Bus commuters should also expect long wait times.

Outreach workers meanwhile tried to coax homeless New Yorkers into shelters and warming centers.

Various landmarks and cultural institutions were closed Monday, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC Broadway shows were canceled Sunday evening.

New York City and Boston canceled public school classes for Monday, while Philadelphia switched to online learning. Districts on Long Island and elsewhere in the New York suburbs said they would cancel school for a second day on Tuesday.

But New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said class would be back in person.

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