Neighbors, government workers and a powerful railroad snow-clearing machine nicknamed “Darth Vader” have been digging out from a brutal storm that forecasters are calling the strongest in a decade. It dumped more than two feet of snow across much of the northeastern United States, and a record three feet in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Thousands of flights were cancelled and hundreds of thousands of people lost power. As roads begin to reopen and mass transportation comes back online, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani insisted on schools reopening Tuesday. Meanwhile forecasters warn that another big winter storm could be on its way.

This storm’s impact is particularly severe for Northeast air hubs

In addition to the thousands of canceled flights due to the storm, more than 1,500 of Tuesday’s flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed, according to flightaware.com.

Even after a storm passes, it takes time for airlines to get their planes and flight crews back where they need to be to restore full schedules, according to Michael McCormick, an associate professor of air traffic management at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University.

“This storm is so wide-ranging, it’s impacted major hubs along the Northeast. And those airports are the most vulnerable airports in terms of getting aircraft and air crews positioned to be able to fly their schedule,” McCormick said. As a result, there will continue to be cancellations that “gradually decrease daily,” he said.

Storm strands juror as sex trafficking trial resumes

The travel disruptions threatened further delays at the trial of Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander in Manhattan federal court.

A juror was “trapped in Miami” and wasn’t scheduled for a return flight until Friday, Judge Valerie Caproni said Tuesday. And it was unlikely the juror could make it back sooner: “She’s flying Spirit. That tells you everything,” Caproni said.

The judge eventually dismissed the stranded juror, leaving just one alternate. The trial already wasn’t held last week to accommodate jurors whose children were on a school break.

Source: WPLG