Visits: 7
A Nor’easter brought rain and snow to states across the region and New England, knocking out power for tens of thousands of businesses and residents and hampering travel efforts.
According to power outage tracker PowerOutage.US, more than 71,000 customers are without power in New York, nearly 36,000 were impacted in Massachusetts, over 16,000 were powerless in New Hampshire and roughly 13,500 were affected in Vermont.
In New York City early Tuesday morning, continuous rain turned into light snow.
The National Weather Service in New York said Tuesday that light accumulation down to the coast remained possible and that heavy, wet snow is expected across interior portions of the lower Hudson Valley and northeastern New Jersey. The office warned that downed tree limbs and power lines are also a threat due to snow loading, and branches were reportedly snapped and lines downed in New York’s capital region. There was also the potential for strong northwesterly wind gusts of up to 50 mph. It also warned of flooding.
NOR’EASTER THREATENS NYC, NORTHEAST WITH SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
In Connecticut, tree branches reportedly fell and caused travel issues, with a tree “briefly on fire,” according to Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department’s public information officer Jon Barbagallo.
The eastern region office said late Monday that heavy rainfall was expected across the I-95 corridor from northern New Jersey to the Boston metro area.
Snowfall totals were expected to range from a few inches to a few feet, depending on the area. Higher elevations in the Albany area and mid-Hudson region could receive 3 feet. In the western part of Massachusetts, snow could exceed 18 inches, the National Weather Service’s Bill Simpson told The Associated Press.
MAN CATCHES FISH WITH BARE HANDS IN FLOODED CALIFORNIA STREET: ‘GOING TO HAVE DINNER TONIGHT’
New York issued a state of emergency starting on Monday night, bringing 100 National Guard members in to assist with the response to the storm.
Some schools in the region canceled classes and Maine Gov. Janet Mills directed that all state offices be closed on Tuesday. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all executive branch state office buildings closed. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey directed all non-emergency state employees working in executive branch agencies not to report to their workplaces and to work from home if possible.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority suspended all ferry service on Tuesday.
Flights were canceled Tuesday at Massachusetts’ Boston Logan International Airport, New York’s LaGuardia Airport and New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport.
In New Hampshire, the storm hits on Election Day for town officeholders. Dozens of communities postponed voting, and others reminded voters that they could vote by absentee ballot on Monday instead.
“It has been below average for snowfall across the Northeast this year, and so this nor’easter will be very impactful,” the College Park, Maryland, National Weather Service’s Andrew Orrison told the AP.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.