Winter storm hits US Northeast, brings snow and travel chaos
The first major winter storm of the season swept across parts of the U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice, making roads hazardous, disrupting travel, and prompting school closures in some areas.
The storm could deliver up to a foot of snow (30 cm) along with wind and heavy rain to states including Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine, though some areas received less than the predicted totals, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Storm warnings and weather advisories remained in effect throughout the day as the region prepared for the winter weather.
“It looks like winter wonderland at the moment,” said John Marino in New York’s Catskill Mountains, which could get up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow. As co-owner of a ski shop, he said he’s grateful that several inches had already accumulated by Tuesday afternoon, a welcome bonus as the season gets into gear.
Hundreds of flights were delayed and roads turned hazardous before sunrise, slowing commutes. In West Virginia, a tractor-trailer driver was rescued unhurt when his cab dangled off a bridge for several hours after losing control in snowy conditions early Tuesday, news outlets reported.
The storm came just as the Midwest began to escape the snow and ice that snarled travel after the Thanksgiving holiday. Chicago O’Hare International Airport set a record for its highest single calendar day snowfall in November, with more than 8 inches (20 centimeters), according to the weather service. The previous record was set in 1951.
“It’s going to be the first snowfall of the season for many of these areas, and it’s going to be rather significant,” said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
Meteorological winter, which covers December through February, is used by climate scientists for consistent recordkeeping and differs from the astronomical seasons found on most calendars.
The National Weather Service warned that snow and ice would make travel dangerous in coastal Maine from Tuesday morning until Wednesday morning and urged residents to delay trips if possible. Several Northeast states also shut schools and as the snow began falling before dawn, making roads slippery during the morning commute. Numerous highway crashes were reported.
The first wallop of December snow brought back a new tradition in New Hampshire, where residents were invited to submit names for the state’s second annual name-a-plow competition.
“We have orange snowplows just waiting for the perfect name,” the Department of Transportation said on social media. Last year’s top name was Ctrl-Salt-Delete. This season’s winners will be announced in January.
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