The northeastern United States was engulfed by snow Tuesday as a powerful winter storm battered the region, blanketing New York for the first time in two years and causing flight cancellations and school closures.
Airlines canceled more than 1,220 flights, including 43 percent of flights at New York’s domestic LaGuardia airport as well as one in five flights at the city’s main air hub JFK, according to aviation tracker Flight Aware.
Schools were forced to close in New York city and transport operators scrambled to provide service after authorities called on the public to avoid driving amid treacherous conditions.
It was the first time in two years that enough snow had fallen to necessitate the use of plows in the country’s biggest city, authorities said.
A nor'easter Tuesday is the biggest snowstorm to hit New York City in three years.
Central Park already collecting more than an inch of snow on the ground with 6 expected.
People are out and loving it. pic.twitter.com/t4pO3XNXqT— Dray Clark (@DrayClarkTV) February 13, 2024
“Four to eight inches (10-20 centimeters) of snow and wind gusts up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour expected. Avoid unnecessary travel. If you must travel, use mass transit,” the city’s emergency notification system said in an alert.
More than 32 million people were under a winter storm warning, issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) as Storm Lorraine wrought havoc.
Many rural areas in the northeast were cut off as snow plows attempted to clear roads even as heavy snow continued to cover driving surfaces.
Hampton Township in New Jersey was hammered with 13 inches of snow while Chester in upstate New York received over 11 inches, according to meteorologists.
