Parts of New England, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York were expected to see a foot (30 cm) of snow by Tuesday morning. More than 80,000 people in the region were still without power Monday morning.
According to forecasters in Buffalo (New York), the snow was rapidly falling, with more than 16 inches (40 cm) of snow falling by 8 a.m. While the city advised residents not to travel on Martin Luther King Jr. Day if they don’t have to, some nearby towns imposed a travel ban.
“WOW! “WOW! “And add another 4 inches in an hour ending at 2AM!” Total so far since late Sun evening – 10.2 inches.”
New York City and Boston were spared from the worst snowfall that was accumulating at higher elevations across western Massachusetts, eastern Pennsylvania, and parts of New England.
New York City was under severe thunderstorm watch Monday morning. High winds made it dangerous to travel in the region.
“We’ve had very strong low pressure that’s kinda moved up the coast with quite heavy snowfall accumulations, from Tennessee, North Carolina all way to the northeast,” Marc Chenard, meteorologist at the Weather Service’s Headquarters in College Park, Maryland, said.
Chenard stated that the North Carolina Mountains have seen more snow than any other area, with an accumulation of over a foot.
He said, “The larger cities, New York and Boston, are warmed up. It’s raining there.”
Forecasters predicted that wind gusts could reach up to 45 mph in New York City (72 kph), while they could reach 60 mph on Long Island (97 kph).
The howling winds set off a fire which destroyed a motel in Salisbury, Massachusetts and two other structures on Monday morning.
New Hampshire closed five COVID-19 testing locations and a vaccine clinic.
For large parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, snow and rain were the biggest threats. Overnight, snowfall could turn to rain. According to NWS meteorologists, wind gusts can reach 70 mph (113 km/h) in Boston.
Similar conditions brought snow to the Southeast on Sunday, leaving thousands without power Monday. Multiple states reported inches of snow and two people were killed in North Carolina Sunday when their car crashed into trees along the median. The storm brought mixed precipitation through, and the car was driven off the road.
Florida’s severe thunderstorms produced a tornado that whipped at 118 mph (190 km/h) winds. It destroyed 30 mobile homes and severely damaged 51 others. Three minor injuries were reported.
The South was expected to see wet roads reopen Monday, creating icy conditions.
The East Coast was littered with plow trucks, which were working to clear the roads for motorists. KDKA-TV reported that there were a few crashes, including one involving an ambulance in an accident on Interstate 279 in Pittsburgh. It is not clear if anyone was hurt.
