Powerful nor’easter pelts region with snow, making it New York City’s snowiest day in 2 years

CNN
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A fast-moving nor’easter dumped snow on New York City and other major Northeast metropolitan areas Tuesday morning, knocking out power and disrupting travel, work and school. The snow has stopped in many areas but will not let up in parts of New England until later Tuesday afternoon. Here’s the latest:

• Forecast: More than a foot of snow has fallen in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania as of Tuesday morning.

• New York City: A total of 3.2 inches of snow fell Tuesday in New York City’s Central Park, making it the snowiest day since January 29, 2022. This ends a record drought of 744 consecutive days since 2 inches or more of snow has blanketed the city in a single day. Snowfall in the city tapered off quickly early Tuesday afternoon, though it will continue in Long Island. The surrounding metro area and nearby New Jersey have seen an increase in snow.

• Boston: Boston is under a winter weather advisory until 7 p.m. The city is in store for 3 to 5 inches of snow, with the heaviest falling until 2 p.m. and winds gusting up to 35 mph. The snow is expected to end around 6 p.m.

• Power outages: More than 130,000 customers in Pennsylvania and thousands more in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia are without power, according to PowerOutage.us. More power outages are possible in the region as the combination of dense, wet snow and winds with gusts as strong as 40 mph could damage trees and down power lines, the National Weather Service said.

• Schools impacted: New York City Public Schools will be remote Tuesday. Elsewhere, classes have been canceled in city districts, including in Boston; Newark, New Jersey; and New Haven, Connecticut.

• A rough Tuesday morning commute: More than 250 car accidents have been reported to New Jersey State Police, Gov. Phil Murphy said during an interview on 1010 WINS Tuesday morning. In Boston, “Travel will rapidly become difficult Tuesday morning and last into the afternoon due to low visibility and snow-covered roads,” the weather service advised. Clearing roads could take some time as wet snow coupled with freezing temperatures could lead to icing, the Massachusetts governor said.

• Residents urged to stay home: Governors in several states, including New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, are urging people to work from home and avoid non-essential travel amid concerns about blowing snow and heavy winds. The New Jersey Department of Transportation issued a commercial vehicle ban Tuesday for multiple interstate highways, in coordination with other states.

• More than 1,000 flights canceled: Air travel across the region is already being impacted. Of the more than 1,000 flight cancellations across the US on Tuesday, the majority are in or out of major airports in New York, Boston and New Jersey, according to FlightAware.

• Strong winds and flooding along the coast: A coastal flood warning is in effect for the area of Manasquan, New Jersey, until 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Between 2 and 3 feet of coastal flooding is also possible during high tide from New Jersey to southern New England, including Long Island and Connecticut. The coast could see strong winds of up to 45 mph. Cape Cod could see damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph.

The snowy weather is quite a change of pace for the region, as many cities in the Northeast are dealing with their warmest winter on record. Historically, February is the snowiest month of the year for many of the region’s major cities because of nor’easters like this one.

“It’s how Mother Nature’s sending her love for Valentine’s Day, with the biggest snowstorm to hit New York City in three years,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday morning on 1010 WINS. “We’ve been preparing for this, and as you can see it’s starting to develop now.”

Officials worked to keep the trains and subway lines running as close to schedule as possible, Hochul said.

“People have been accustomed to a fairly mild winter, so take all the necessary precautions,” Hochul said Monday. “If you can work remotely, that’s great, because we want to make sure that our roads are clear for the plows, as always.”

The governor on Tuesday acknowledged winter storms could sometimes be treacherous, but encouraged New Yorkers to enjoy the snow.

“It’s a great day for kids to be home doing their remote learning,” Hochul said. “Make sure the kids are doing their work, but also at the end of the school day, get out there and have some fun.”

In Massachusetts, where Boston could see up to 7 inches of snow, Gov. Maura Healey warned snowfall may become too heavy for plows to keep up with.

In New Jersey, Murphy warned people to “take this one seriously” as parts of the state are eyeing up to a foot of dense, wet snow. The state’s transportation commissioner urged residents to stay home and exercise “extreme caution” if they must venture outside.

CNN Meteorologists Eric Zerkel and Sara Tonks and CNN’s Rob Frehse, Sarah Dewberry, Nic F. Anderson, Nikki Brown and Celina Tebor contributed to this report.