A giant Nor’easter stretching from Maine to South Carolina dumped several inches of snow across the region today, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and buses and causing dangerous road conditions for commuters.
Snow in some cities fell at the rate of up to two inches per hour from late Sunday into Monday morning, making it extremely difficult for snowplows to keep roads and runways open, and causing power outages and school closures up and down the eastern seaboard.
Boston’s Logan Airport closed one of its two runways Monday morning and canceled hundreds of flights. Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports in the New York City area canceled nearly 1,000 flights, while the three Washington D.C.-area airports canceled a total of 50 flights.
At some smaller airports such as Stewart International Airport in upstate New York and Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, all commercial flights were canceled for much of the day.
Several major airlines, including American, US Airways, Delta and Continental, agreed to waive change fees over the next few days for travelers forced to reschedule flights because of the storm.
Weather service officials in many states were urging residents not to drive to work if possible and to take public transit instead. However, many commuter rail services such as Boston’s MBTA and New York’s Long Island Railroad reported significant delays.
Those who did brave the roads often found themselves stuck. Tow truck companies reported being overwhelmed with calls from stranded motorists caught in snow drifts and whiteout conditions.
In South Carolina a major accident closed Interstate 85 for 10 hours, forcing many people to spend the night in their cars on the side of the highway without food, water or heat. In other areas at least four people were killed in road accidents, including a Boston crash that killed a 25-year-old pregnant woman.
Travelers hoping to get to the northeast by bus didn’t have it any easier, as major bus services such as Greyhound and Peter Pan canceled trips into and out of New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey from midnight Sunday.
Conditions in Philadelphia were so bad that the city declared a Code Blue weather emergency, giving officials the authority to move homeless people into shelters since the weather could cause serious harm or even death.
In South Carolina and Delaware strong winds knocked down power lines, leaving thousands without electricity. In New Jersey the governor estimated that the storm would cost the state up to $7 million in road clearing costs and lost productivity.
Another wave of snow was expected to hit the area Monday afternoon, but the worst of the storm should be over by evening rush hour. Tuesday should be much quieter and clearer, though temperatures will remain frigid and some areas may experience wind gusts up to 22 miles per hour.
Meteorologists reported that the storm was the worst of the season, with snowfall levels reaching near-record levels in dozens of cities.
Related Links: USA Today, New York Times, Bloomberg, ABC News, Associated Press
By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.
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