Two winter storms have led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights across the United States. The storms dropped up to a foot of snow in New York's Hudson Valley and triggered blizzard warnings in the Great Plains.
As the eastern storm subsides Sunday, another storm is sweeping across western states, prompting winter storm watches and warnings from Arizona to Illinois, including a blizzard warning for New Mexico and Colorado.
These weather disruptions led to the cancellation of over 600 flights nationwide early Sunday, with significant impacts in cities such as Boston, Newark, Seattle and Chicago, according to FlightAware, a company that monitors airline activity.
In response to the storm, Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, also suspended several train services to Boston and throughout the Midwest.
Winter storm warnings and watches were in effect across the Northeast, and icy roads created dangerous travel conditions as far south as North Carolina. The storm in the Northeast coincided with a storm in the Sierra Nevada that led to the closure of a stretch of highway in Nevada and power outages for thousands of residents. Additionally, more than 11,000 electric customers in California remained without power.
According to the National Weather Service, some communities in Massachusetts reported over a foot of snow by Sunday afternoon, causing power outages for nearly 13,000 customers. Logan International Airport experienced hundreds of flight delays or cancellations. Coastal communities like Boston saw less snow accumulation. Snowfall was expected to continue throughout the day.
Residents in Cambridge, where snowfall was lighter, ventured outside despite the weather conditions. Alison Conley, a 26-year-old consultant, said she was amused by the panic surrounding the storm. She mentioned that people were placing bets on how much snow would actually accumulate, and it seemed like not much would remain. However, Conley also raised concerns about the impact of climate change on the region's relatively warmer winter days. She found it worrying and strange, but admitted that she personally enjoyed the absence of snow.
The storm also reached Maine, with up to a foot of snow falling in some places. Wind gusts of up to 35 mph may cause blowing and drifting snow. Vermont expected moderate to heavy snowfall, with total accumulations of 6 to 12 inches. Storm conditions were expected to continue into Sunday evening, with snowfall in parts of New England and rain and freezing rain in the central Appalachians. New York City received mostly rain, but counties to the north and west reported double-digit amounts of snow.
To the west, a winter storm warning was issued for the Sierra Nevada, predicting heavy snow and gusty winds. The California Highway Patrol enforced a closure of Interstate 80 due to numerous accidents and traffic jams caused by the snowy conditions. In Arizona, several highways were closed due to weather-related accidents and slides caused by snowfall.
Nevada and Las Vegas had a wind chill of 32 degrees Fahrenheit with gusts up to 37 miles per hour. Wind chills of 10 to 25 degrees below zero Celsius were forecast in northern and western New Mexico early Tuesday.
As the East Coast system continued to move along the northeast coast, reports of 12 inches of snow emerged in parts of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, and 11 inches in Sussex County, New Jersey. Although warnings were lifted and highway speed limits returned to normal, motorists were warned of the risk of patchy freezing rain and black ice in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey.
The National Weather Service warned of another storm expected to hit the Northeast Tuesday into Wednesday, bringing heavy rain to already saturated ground. Possible flooding, coastal flooding and strong winds were expected, which could cause damage to trees and power lines.
(With contributions from agencies)
