U.S. East Coast digs out from snow, braces for bitter cold

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New England dug out from more than a foot of snow on Monday that snarled commutes and canceled flights, although New York City was spared the worst of the late-winter storm, which was expected to be followed by bitter cold in the days ahead.

A band of winter weather stretching from Maryland to Maine dumped 15 inches (38 cm) of snow overnight on downtown Boston and some 5 inches (13 cm) on Central Park in the heart of New York City, National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard reported.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio took the rare step of shutting the city's massive public school system, and New Jersey Transit canceled about a dozen trains on its sprawling commuter system.

The mayor defended the school closures on Twitter after snow totals in New York were less than expected and parents griped on social media that there was no reason to keep their children home.

"We put safety first when we make a call on closing school. The overnight storm had more rain and less snow than forecasted. We know it’s tough for working parents - that’s why we made an early decision so New Yorkers could plan. Kids, enjoy your day off. Back to school Tuesday," de Blasio said in a tweet.

More than 1,500 flights were canceled on Monday and another 3,500 were delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com.

Government offices and libraries in Boston were closed. In New Jersey, where Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, state workers had a two-hour delay.

"This is horrible!" said Steve Wesley, 56, as he shoveled snow from his driveway in Maplewood, New Jersey. Wesley's two-mile local commute by car was delayed nearly two hours by the four-to-six inches of snow.

Commuting challenges may mount in the coming days as snow melts and then temperatures drop, icing over roadways.

"Each day is a little bit cooler," said Chenard, noting the week's highest temperatures for the Northeast will be in the low 30s. (1 C)

"You’ll get some melting during the day, especially when the sun is hitting the snow, and then at night it’s going to be cold enough to refreeze. Any road surfaces that aren’t treated, certainly could get icy at night into the morning," he said.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Scott Malone, Steve Orlofsky and Bill Berkrot)