NEW YORK: The second winter storm in a week continued to dump wet, heavy snow on New England on Thursday, forcing schools to close, leaving more than 1 million customers without power and snarling the morning commute across the region. More snow and fierce wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour (88 km/h) were expected from eastern New York through northern Maine on Thursday after the storm slammed the region on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. Up to 18 inches were possible in northern New England.
Boston public schools along with dozens of schools throughout New England cancelled classes on Thursday as local officials and forecasters warned of whiteout conditions and slick roads.
Amtrak suspended passenger train services between New York City and Boston until at least 11 am EST and cancelled dozens of other routes on Thursday.
New York City residents woke to blue skies on Thursday with melting streaks of sidewalk slush the only reminder of the previous day’s bad weather.
But many commuters travelling to the city from New Jersey were foiled.
Fordham Law School Professor Robin Lenhardt, 50, was climbing the hill home from the Maplewood train station after learning that some New Jersey Transit services were suspended due to overhead wire problems. She said she would instead teach her class remotely.
“It was a little bizarre to walk into the station with lots of people with fancy phones that could connect with the internet and nothing was said about trains suspended,” Lenhardt said.
Nearly 200 flights into and out of Boston Logan International airport were cancelled.
The dense snow and strong winds downed trees and power lines on Wednesday, knocking power out in more than a million homes and homes and businesses across the Northeast, utility companies said.
In Massachusetts alone more than 280,000 customers were without power.
Last week’s storm brought major coastal flooding to Massachusetts, killed at least nine people and knocked out power to about 2.4 million homes and businesses in the Northeast.
— Reuters
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