(Image source from: REUTERS)
A large snowstorm hit the northeastern part of the United States, stretching from Maryland to Maine on Monday. This extreme weather made millions of people stay indoors due to powerful winds, blizzard alerts, travel halts, and closures of schools and businesses. Weather experts noted that this storm is the strongest seen in ten years, dropping over 2 feet of snow in some areas of the metropolitan Northeast, breaking records for snowfall in certain places, paralyzing transportation, and even causing the United Nations to delay a Security Council meeting. Officials announced emergencies, and schools closed down, including in New York City, which experienced its first traditional snow day in six years, while many faced power outages.
Even with the snow moving towards the north and easing in some spots, the National Weather Service mentioned they are monitoring another storm that might bring additional snow to the area later this week.
The weather service described Monday's storm as a "classic bomb cyclone/nor'easter off the Northeast coast. " A bomb cyclone is when a storm's pressure drops significantly over a 24-hour timeframe, typically in the fall and winter when cold Arctic air moves south and meets warmer temperatures. While the storm created chaos and potential hazards for millions on the Eastern Seaboard, meteorologists were captivated by its power and beauty.
The storm hit the perfect condition for heavy, wet snow: If it had been warmer, it wouldn’t have snowed, and if it had been colder, there wouldn’t have been enough moisture in the air for that snowfall, stated Owen Shieh, a meteorologist coordinating warnings at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.
In Lower Manhattan, there were more snow shovelers than office workers, and people strolled freely in roads usually congested with morning traffic. "It’s really quiet, except for the strong winds," mentioned Luis Valez, a doorman at a building near Wall Street, while he cleared the walkway. "A few residents have stepped out to get what they need. Other than that, it’s calm. "
Matthew Wojtkowiak, a 57-year-old lawyer, was also shoveling snow in his Brooklyn area. "I’m from the Midwest, so this feels familiar," he said. "It’s not too bad, but it’s not too easy, either. " Schools were shut down, and he mentioned he hoped people would take the chance to have fun in the snow. "We have sleds ready to go," he added.
Karen Smith and Adele Bawden, tourists from the United Kingdom, were visiting New York. "We’ve been dancing in Times Square this morning right in the middle of the road during rush hour," Bawden said. "We just kept dancing, amazed that we could do it." Ingrid Devita shared that she enjoys skiing around the Lower East Side, checking on anyone who might need assistance. "I notice that some people fall in the snow and can’t get up," she said. In Central Park, New York City reported 19 inches of snow, while Warwick, Rhode Island, surpassed 3 feet, making it the highest amount in the country so far.
The strongest wind gust of 83 miles per hour was noted in Nantucket, with winds strong enough to be classified as hurricane-force observed across Cape Cod. In Connecticut, workers at the Mystic Seaport Museum got ready to remove snow from a collection of old ships, including the 113-foot wooden whaling ship known as Charles W. Morgan, which was part of the 19th-century American merchant fleet.
Shannon McKenzie, who is the vice president in charge of watercraft operations and preservation, mentioned that the shipyard team will clear the snow by hand using rubber or plastic shovels to avoid harming the boats with metal ones. New York, Philadelphia, and several other cities, along with multiple states, declared states of emergency. On Monday, over 5,600 flights to and from the United States were cancelled, and an additional 2,000 flights planned for Tuesday were also cancelled, as reported by the flight tracking service FlightAware. Most of the cancelled flights involved airports in New York, New Jersey, and Boston. Nearly 2,500 flights experienced delays. T. F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island announced on Monday that it would momentarily stop all airport operations. The Weather Service stated that the airport received 32.8 inches of snow, which broke a record from 1978. Public transportation came to a standstill in some regions, while DoorDash paused deliveries in New York City from Sunday night into Monday.
Weather experts explained that strong winds combined with heavy, wet snow can lead to broken tree branches and long power outages. On Monday evening, more than 450,000 utility customers across the country were still without power, according to PowerOutage. us, which keeps track of outages nationally. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported on Monday evening that subway services were mostly running again after earlier disruptions, except for Staten Island, which still had suspended rail service. Delays were expected to persist on outdoor train lines. The MTA indicated that limited commuter rail service to the suburbs north and east of the city was set to start back up before the Tuesday morning commute. Bus riders also should prepare for long wait times. Outreach workers were attempting to encourage homeless individuals in New York to seek out shelters and warming centers.
Multiple landmarks and cultural institutions were closed on Monday, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D. C. Broadway performances were cancelled on Sunday night. New York City and Boston decided to cancel public school classes for Monday, while Philadelphia switched to online classes. School districts on Long Island and other parts of the New York suburbs announced further school closures for Tuesday. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, stated that in-person classes would resume on Tuesday. Officials in one of the city's Republican areas spoke against this decision. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella argued that schools should remain closed because the roads were impassable and sidewalks were obstructed. The United Federation of Teachers, which is the teacher's union, advised its members to be careful and prioritize their safety when deciding whether to go to work.
Mamdani's representatives did not quickly reply to an email asking for a statement. He had joked earlier on Monday, when he declared that classes would resume, saying, "You can still throw snowballs at me if you see me." However, for Monday, his message to students was different: "Stay warm."
