The second winter storm in a week yesterday continued to dump wet, heavy snow on New England, forcing schools to close and leaving hundreds of thousands without power as it promised to slow the morning commute across the region.
About 30cm of snow and fierce wind gusts of up to 88kph were expected from eastern New York through northern Maine yesterday after the storm slammed the region on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said in several watches and warnings.
Up to 60cm of snow accumulation was expected in some inland parts of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts and 18 inches was possible in Maine.
Boston public schools along with dozens of schools throughout New England cancelled classes yesterday as local officials and forecasters warned commuters of whiteout conditions and slick roads.
“With snow removal efforts underway, motorists are asked to stay off roads, stay home and stay safe,” the Boston Police Department said on Twitter.
Amtrak suspended passenger train services between New York City and Boston until at least 10am and cancelled dozens of routes yesterday.
Two dozen flights were already cancelled yesterday morning after about half of all scheduled flights were cancelled at the three major airports serving New York City on Wednesday.
The website said more than 2,100 flights had been delayed and 2,700 cancelled, most of them in the Northeast, as of 8pm on Wednesday.
The dense snow and strong winds downed trees and power lines, knocking power out for hundreds of thousands in New England and the Mid Atlantic, according to Poweroutage.us, a website that tracks outages.
“4am, no power (no heat), waiting for a text from work to say “we will be closed today”. Fingers crossed!” tweeted Jessica Squeglia in Peabody, Massachusetts.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy ordered many state workers to head home on Wednesday afternoon at staggered intervals to avoid traffic snarls on slippery roads.
The governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania declared states of emergency, giving them access to support from the US government if needed.
Last week’s storm brought major coastal flooding to Massachusetts, killed at least nine people and knocked out power to about 2.4mn homes and businesses in the Northeast.



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