US East Coast Snowstorm: 5000 Flights Cancelled

A powerful winter storm swept across the US East Coast on Monday, dumping record-breaking snowfall and disrupting life for millions. Authorities reported nearly 37 inches of snow in parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, while New York City’s Central Park recorded over 19 inches. Officials described travel conditions in New York as “near impossible.” The storm knocked out power to more than 600,000 homes and businesses, with New Jersey and Massachusetts suffering the worst outages. Winter storm warnings covered a vast stretch from North Carolina to northern Maine and extended into parts of eastern Canada.

Forecasters said the heavy snowfall would continue through Monday, with some northeastern coastal areas expected to receive up to two feet of snow by Tuesday morning. Rhode Island experienced the heaviest impact, marking what local reports called the worst snowstorm in the state’s history. Providence recorded 36 inches of snow, breaking the previous single-storm record set in February 1978. Meteorologists expressed surprise at the scale of accumulation. The storm’s intensity surpassed expectations and set new benchmarks for snowfall in the region.

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Snowstorm hits US East Coast, flights cancelled amid travel chaos

State authorities imposed strict travel bans to protect residents. Rhode Island and neighboring Connecticut restricted non-essential travel, while Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a similar ban in southeastern parts of the state. Officials reduced speed limits on major highways and warned drivers about whiteout conditions. Leaders urged residents to stay off the roads, stressing that emergency crews could struggle to reach stranded motorists. The measures aimed to prevent accidents and ensure public safety during the peak of the storm.

The storm left nearly 300,000 people without electricity in Massachusetts alone, including a large majority of customers in Barnstable County, which covers Cape Cod. In New York City, officials shut down roads, highways, and bridges, bringing the city of over eight million residents to a near standstill before lifting the ban at noon. Authorities in Connecticut and New Jersey warned that falling trees and branches could worsen road hazards and trigger additional outages. Crews towed hundreds of vehicles in Providence to clear paths for snowploughs, while residents later helped free stranded drivers.

Air travel faced severe disruption as airlines cancelled more than 5,700 flights within, into, or out of the United States. Airports in New York, Boston, Newark, and Philadelphia reported widespread cancellations, with the majority of departures halted. LaGuardia and JFK airports saw the highest percentage of cancelled flights after heavy snowfall blanketed runways. Officials warned that travel disruptions would continue into Tuesday, with over 2,000 additional cancellations expected. Boston and New York airports remained among the hardest hit as the region continued to dig out from the historic storm.

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