A recent March snow storm has targeted the Northeast in the United States. While the eventual snow-fall was not as serious as originally expected, especially within the New York City area, meteorologists have said there is still more to come, especially for the coast, in addition to high winds and tides. Added to that, cancellations with transportation services, whether or not proven necessary, and loss of power is said to currently be an issue throughout the area.
New York City has been a focal point for this storm
For New York, the storm was less troublesome than anticipated, having been downgraded from 4 inches to 8 by the National Weather Service.
Howling wind and thunder had also been expected. Added to that, the blizzard warning for New York City has been canceled, but is still in effect to the north and west. A big reason for the weather being less hazardous than had been feared appears to be snow eventually transitioning into sleet or rain in these areas.
While the blizzard warning has been discontinued, a state of emergency is still in play for New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio released a statement to the people of New York that they should still "stay off the roads, stay off the sidewalks" as much as they possibly can. While the mayor had closed schools over the weather concerns, it has been said that it is unlikely there will be school closings for tomorrow.
Added to that, the New York City subway has suspended above-ground service, but will still continue its underground schedule.
While the weather in New York City suggests things may not be as bad as they were feared, de Blasio derided this mentality, specifically defending his decision to keep schools closed during the expected storm, by saying that, in the end, “Mother Nature makes her own decisions,” even when meteorologists do all they can to monitor the situation.
NYC was spared but there is a bigger picture going on
Over 200,000 homes are without power across the Northeast. New Jersey Transit buses, meanwhile, suspended service for the day, but local and city buses are still running. For those traveling by ferry, the Staten Island Ferry is still running, with its schedule coming into play for every half-hour, but Seastreak and East River Ferry services are said to be suspended for the day.
Roads are said to be icy and unsafe throughout the Northeast area, but there are currently no known significant closings for buses and tunnels. In addition, there have been thousands of flight cancellations within the Northeast, although Kennedy, La Guardia, and Newark Liberty International Airports are said to have remained open.
For the most part, the biggest concern seems to be for upstate New York, which is said to be currently plagued by high winds, and at the coast, with high tides expected in New England. Added to that, more snow is falling in interior New England, with up to 30 inches expected for the New York-Pennsylvania border. The expected snowfall for various parts of the Northeast is as follows.
- 22 inches in Albany, New York
- 12 to 18 inches in Worcester, Massachusetts
- 20 inches in Poughkeepsie, New York
- 18 to 24 inches in West Milford, New Jersey
- 24 to 30 inches in Monticello, New York and Honesdale, Pennsylvania
