A major winter storm has brought significant disruption to the eastern United States, causing widespread power outages and the cancellation of thousands of flights. The storm, described as a “nor’easter,” impacted a vast swathe of the country, stretching from Maryland to Maine, with some areas experiencing record snowfall totals.
As of , more than 360,000 homes and businesses remained without power across the East Coast, according to poweroutage.us. Massachusetts was the hardest hit state, with approximately 255,000 outages reported. New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island were also experiencing tens of thousands of power failures.
The storm’s impact on air travel has been substantial. Over 12,000 flights have been canceled between and , according to FlightAware. Flights were largely suspended from Philadelphia north to Boston, with major hubs in those cities, as well as Baltimore and Washington D.C., bearing the brunt of the cancellations. Airlines began preemptively canceling flights as early as in an effort to mitigate the disruption.
Snowfall accumulations were significant, with parts of Long Island and New Jersey reporting over two feet of snow. Babylon, New York, recorded over 29 inches, while Freehold, New Jersey, saw more than 26 inches. New York City’s Central Park received over 19 inches, marking the ninth largest snowfall in the city’s history dating back to 1869.
The severity of the storm prompted travel bans across multiple states, severely limiting movement throughout the region. Some states, including Rhode Island and Connecticut, implemented bans on non-essential travel during the peak of the storm. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also issued a travel ban.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts experienced nearly 37 inches of snowfall, with over 19 inches falling in New York City’s Central Park. Weather warnings extended from North Carolina to northern Maine, and even into parts of eastern Canada.
The Boston Globe, a major US newspaper, suspended its print edition for the first time in its 153-year history due to the storm’s impact. More than 600,000 properties across the East Coast experienced power outages at one point.
Meteorologists noted the exceptional nature of the snowfall in Rhode Island, with Providence receiving 36 inches, surpassing the previous record of 28.6 inches set in February 1978. “It completely smashed it,” Candice Hrencecin, an NWS meteorologist in Boston, told the New York Times.
While the storm is forecast to move away from the US on and across coastal parts of eastern Canada, strong winds are expected to persist. Snow accumulations were anticipated to reach one to two feet near the northeast coastline.
The disruption caused by the storm highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to extreme weather events. The widespread flight cancellations and power outages underscore the challenges faced by transportation and utility companies in maintaining services during severe winter conditions. The proactive cancellation of flights by airlines, while disruptive to travelers, demonstrates an attempt to prioritize safety and minimize further complications.
The economic impact of the storm is likely to be significant, encompassing lost productivity, business closures, and the cost of repairs to damaged infrastructure. The long-term effects on regional economies will depend on the speed and effectiveness of recovery efforts.
This storm serves as a reminder of the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, a trend linked to broader climate change patterns. While attributing any single event directly to climate change requires careful analysis, the severity of this nor’easter raises concerns about the preparedness of infrastructure and communities to cope with future climate-related challenges.
