Heavy snow from nor’easter cancels hundreds of flights and leaves thousands without power

Ashley Nash
·2 min read
1
Beth Reilly, background, cross country skies with her two children, Noah, 7, in the middle, and Annelies, 5, during a snowstorm in Waterbury, Vt., on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. They were taking advantage of a snow day caused by the winter storm that was dropping heavy, wet snow across the Northeast. The storm at caused a plane to slide off the runway and led to hundreds of school closings, canceled flights and thousands of power outages in parts of the Northeast on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)

A powerful nor’easter storm that began Monday night has already blanketed some parts of the northeastern states with over two feet of snow, leading to flight cancellations, power outages and travel delays.

Totals: As of Tuesday afternoon, many eastern cities had accumulated at least two feet of snow over a period of 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.

  • The Washington Post reported that over 250,000 people were without power on Tuesday afternoon, due to heavy snow accumulating on power lines and wind speeds of up to 40 mph.

  • A state of emergency was declared in New York by Gov. Kathy Hochul, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in five of the state’s counties, NWS reported.

Travel delays: CNN reported that more than 900 flights to or from the U.S. had been canceled as a result of the nor’easter, with over 2,700 flights delayed.

  • The airports with the most delays are Boston Logan International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport, each with over 100 flight cancellations, per CNN.

  • Roads are also shut down in parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, according to NWS.

Related

More to come: The Associated Press reported that the storm's path travels through parts of upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, and northern New Jersey.

  • The NWS says that heavy snow and a mix of rain is expected to fall all day Tuesday in most of New England, with the storm tapering off on Wednesday afternoon.

  • Most areas can expect around 3-8 inches, with higher elevations seeing over two feet of snow.

How to prepare: NPR reported that the effects of the storm could last a long time.

  • Those who live in the area who are affected by power outages should fill bathtubs “to provide water for flushing toilets and filling containers with drinking water,” according to Connecticut Public Radio.

  • Residents of these areas should also have flashlights, batteries and a radio on hand.

  • NPR also advises caution when walking outdoors, as heavy snow could cause tree branches to break and fall onto passersby.