A man walks in the snow covered street in Boston, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter is sweeping up the U.S. East Coast and threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds.
A worker clears the sidewalk at East Pier in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
A road crew clears snow during the beginning of a major snow storm, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Somerville, Mass. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Church caretaker Wilian Roberto Vasquez clears snow from the sidewalk around the church at the beginning of a major snow storm arrives, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Somerville, Mass. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
A front-end loader dumps road salt into a truck Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Chelsea, Mass. Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday.
A front-end loader dumps road salt into a truck Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Chelsea, Mass. Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday.
A waitress stands in front of a flood barrier at the entrance to Legal Seafoods restaurant, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, on the waterfront in Boston. Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday.
A man steps over a flood barrier at the entrance to a building on Long Wharf, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Boston. Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday.
A flood barrier partially surrounds the Aquarium train station, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, on the waterfront in Boston. Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday.
Auburn Public Works employee Andy Gagnon guides equipment operator Per Tripp as they attach the last blade to a truck in the Auburn, Maine, garage Friday morning, Jan. 28, 2021, as they prepare for the weekend storm.
Snow covers the Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center along Interstate-68 near Maryland’s west border with West Virginia, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Friendsville, Md. A winter storm is moving into the Mid-Atlantic including blizzard warnings for Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
A front-end loader works in front of a pile of road salt, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Chelsea, Mass. Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday.
Dawn breaks as the beginning of a major snow storm arrives, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Somerville, Mass. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
A dusting of snow falls at dawn as the beginning of a major snow storm arrives Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Somerville, Mass. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
An MBTA bus makes its rounds as the beginning of a major snow storm arrives, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Somerville, Mass. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Patrick Lawrence clears his driveway of snow at his home in New Bedford, Mass., on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
A man carefully walks down the snow covered subway stairs during a snow storm in Bushwick section of Brooklyn borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in New York. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
A lone ambulance travels on an empty Interstate 195 in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Anne McElwee shovels the walkway in North Attleboro, Mass., on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Dale McElwee clears his Green Street, North Attleboro, Mass. property of snow on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Wilson Anibal Mejia walks through the snow to get to work at a restaurant in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Kannan Thiruvengadam documents flooding on Boston Harbor, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Water from Boston Harbor floods the roadway, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Water reaches flood level, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
A pedestrian walks through a gust of wind along the waterfront in India Point Park in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Outdoor dining areas covered in snow due to a snow storm in the Ridgewood section of Queens borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
A man walks down a snow covered street in the Ridgewood section of Queens borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
A woman walks down a snow covered street in the Ridgewood section of Queens borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
A license plate is covered with snow during a snow storm in the Ridgewood section of Queens borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
A man walks down a snowy street in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
Snow covers the entrance to the subway station in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
A man walks up snow covered subway stairs in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
Snow reached the inside of the Morgan ‘L’ subway station in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. People from New York City to Maine are awakening to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicks up blizzard conditions.
The lights of a tall ship shine on the water during a snow storm on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. A powerful nor’easter is sweeping up the U.S. East Coast and threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds.
BOSTON (AP) — A winter storm lashed the Northeast with deep snow and wind gusts near hurricane force Saturday, causing coastal flooding and threatening widespread power outages while forecasters warned conditions would worsen as the day went on.
Parts of 10 states and some major population centers — including Philadelphia, New York and Boston — were pummeled by the storm. By late morning, more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow had fallen on parts of New Jersey’s shore and eastern Long Island.
Boston, in the nor’easter’s crosshairs, could get as much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow. Isolated pockets nearby could get as much as 3 feet (1 meter), forecasters said. Winds gusted as high as 70 mph (113 kph) on Nantucket Island off Massachusetts and over 60 mph (96 kph) elsewhere in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Most flights into and out of the airports serving New York, Boston and Philadelphia were canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware. More than 4,500 flights were canceled across the U.S. Amtrak canceled all of its high-speed Acela trains between Boston and Washington and canceled or limited other service in the region.
Across the region, residents hunkered down and avoided travel at the behest of government leaders, who warned of whiteout conditions. Business closed or opened late.
In suburban Boston, a bundled-up Nicky Brown, 34, stood at the doors of Gordon’s liquor store in Waltham, waiting for it to open. It was supposed to open at 8 a.m., and it was already well past that.
“My boyfriend is out driving a plow, and I had a bunch of cleaning to do at home, and I want a drink while I’m doing it,” she said, as she called the store to find out if it planned to open at all. “It’s a good day to stay inside and clean.”
In the seaside town of Newburyport, north of Boston near the New Hampshire border, officials strongly encouraged residents living along the shore to move to higher ground.
Video posted on social media showed wind and waves battering North Weymouth, south of Boston, flooding streets with a slurry of frigid water. Other video showed a street underwater on Nantucket.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power in Massachusetts, with failures mounting. No other states reported widespread outages.
The storm had two saving graces: Dry snow less capable of snapping trees and tearing down power lines, and its timing on a weekend, when schools were closed and few people were commuting.
Officials from Virginia to Maine warned people to stay off the roads.
Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all nonemergency road travel starting at 8 a.m. Fierce winds blew the snow sideways for hours in Providence.
In West Hartford, Connecticut, a tractor-trailer jacknifed on Interstate 84, closing several lanes. Massachusetts banned heavy trucks from interstate highways.
On New York’s Long Island, East Hampton officials reported near-whiteout conditions, as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow by midmorning and wind gusts of over 50 mph (80 kph).
“There’s a lot of drifting of snow, so of course we’re urging people not to go out at all, allow the highway crews to do their job,” Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said. “It’s going to be challenging enough without people getting stuck in the roadway.”
In Philadelphia, where 6 inches (15 centimeters) was reported by early Saturday, few drivers ventured onto streets covered in knee-high drifts.
Some parts of the Jersey Shore had more than 13 inches (33 centimeters) by midday, the National Weather Service reported.
Delaware allowed only essential personnel to drive in two of its three counties.
Many hardy New Englanders took the storm in stride.
“This is nothing,” said Brown, who has lived in Waltham nearly her whole life, except for a brief stint in northern Maine. “I’ve seen way worse up there.”
Dave McGillivray, race director for the Boston Marathon, jokingly invited the public to his suburban Boston home on Saturday for a free snow-shoveling clinic.
“I will provide the driveway and multiple walkways to ensure your training is conducted in the most lifelike situation,” he said.
Parts of 10 states were under blizzard warnings: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, along with much of the Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Areas closest to the coast were expected to bear the brunt of the storm.
Virginia, where a blizzard this month stranded hundreds of motorists for hours on Interstate 95, did not hesitate to get resources at the ready. In Maryland, the governor mobilized the National Guard.
Washington and Baltimore were spared the worst of the storm.
The worst of the storm was expected to blow by Sunday morning into Canada, where several provinces were under warnings.
Catalini reported from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers David Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Jeff McMillan in Scranton, Pennsylvania; Ron Todt in Philadelphia; and William J. Kole in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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