NEW YORK (AP) — A massive snowstorm pummeled the northeast United States from Maryland to Maine on Monday, forcing millions of people to stay home amid strong wind and blizzard warnings, transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures.
The storm dumped up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in parts of the metropolitan northeast as accumulations from an earlier snowfall had just melted away — except for gray mountainous piles in parking lots and along the side of roads. Officials declared emergencies from Delaware to Massachusetts, and hundreds of thousands of people grappled with power failure from downed electrical lines.
Even as the snow moved northward and tapered off in other areas, the National Weather Service said it is tracking another storm that could bring more snow to the region later this week.
The weather service referred to Monday's storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter off the Northeast coast.” A bomb cyclone happens when a storm's pressure falls by a certain amount within a 24-hour period, occurring mainly in the fall and winter when frigid Arctic air can reach the south and clash with warmer temperatures.
New York City and Boston canceled public school classes for Monday, while Philadelphia switched to online learning. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.” But class would be back in person on Tuesday, he said.
“You can still pelt me with snowballs when you see me,” he told kids after saying schools would reopen.
For Monday, though, he had another mission for students: "Stay cozy.”
People begin digging out even as snowfall continues
In Lower Manhattan, snow shovelers appeared to outnumber commuting office workers, and pedestrians walked freely in streets normally blocked by morning traffic.
“It’s very quiet, except for the howling winds,” said Luis Valez, a concierge at a residential tower just off Wall Street, as he cleared the sidewalk. “A couple of residents have gone out to get their essentials. Other than that, there’s nothing.”
Source: WPLG
