Huge snowstorm hits US east coast

Major storm hits US North-East parts

A huge snowstorm brought chaos to the United States’ east coast Monday, canceling thousands of flights, closing schools and forcing the postponement of coronavirus vaccinations as New York City steeled itself for possibly one of its heaviest ever snowfalls, blasting coastal areas with high winds and bringing New York City and other major urban centers to nearly a standstill.

New York declared a “state of emergency” that restricted non-essential travel, moved all children back to remote learning and rescheduled long-awaited vaccine shots as the city braced for almost two feet (60 centimeters) of snow. The nor’easter – an East Coast storm with winds blowing from the northeast – could bring accumulations of 1 to 2 feet (31 cm to 61 cm) to the country’s most densely populated region before tapering off on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. By early Monday evening, the nor’easter had dumped as much as 27 inches (68 cm) of snow in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and 17 inches (43 cm) in parts of New York City. More than 13 inches (33 cm) covered Manhattan’s Central Park, as bands of snow began moving north into New England.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued storm warnings from Virginia to Maine — home to tens of millions of people — as heavy snow mixed with wind gusts up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour spurred blizzard-like conditions along the eastern seaboard.