Winter storm live: One dead after powerful nor’easter as states brace for more snow this week
On Wednesday, a storm was expected to begin over central states
Heavy snow blankets New York City
More snow is expected later this week following the large winter storm which swept across the US northeast and New England on Tuesday.
The storm left one person dead, closed schools, and caused hundreds of flight cancellations and road accidents.
But while some places saw 15 inches of snow, the accumulations were less than expected in other locations.
More than three inches of snow fell on Central Park in New York, the most in two years, but still less than the six inches originally forecast.
On Wednesday, a storm was expected to begin over central states before pushing into the northeast by Thursday night with several more inches of snow possible.
Eric Adams thanks New Yorkers
Mayor Eric Adams thanked New Yorkers for heeding the City’s warning over the treacherous weather and limiting their time on the roads.
Posting a video from outside his old school in Queens, Mr Adams praised the New York Santitation Department for their snow-plowing, and said officials would continue to monitor the situation.
“Thank you New Yorkers, we are going to plow through this,” he said.
Who’s had the most snow?
The National Weather Service office for the Eastern region shared the highest snowfall totals on Tuesday afternoon.
Farmington, Connecticut -15.5 inches
Sussex, New Jersey - 15in
Shohola, Pennsylvania - 15in
Chester, New York - 13in
Foster, Rhode Island - 10in
Dudley, Massachusetts - 8.8in
Mount Storm, West Virginia - 8in
Sabillasville, Maryland - 8in
A person works to clear wet and heavy snow from a sidewalk during a winter storm in Philadelphia
Pictured: Central Park in the snow
New Yorkers and tourists alike were out in force in Central Park on Tuesday after it recorded its first significant snowfall in two years.
Some 3.2 inches fell on the park, the most in two years - but less than the six inches or more than was earlier forecast.
People walk through the falling snow in Central Park on February 13, 2024 in New York City
A child plays in the snow in Central Park in New York City on 13 February 13 2024
Tech glitches prevent remote learning during storm
When New York City officials got wind of the major winter storm headed their way, they rewound the clock four years, reopened their coronavirus pandemic playbook, and announced that instead of canceling school, teachers and students would once again meet online. No snow day.
Mayor Eric Adams said it was important to give children enrolled in the nation’s largest school system stability considering the massive upheaval to education the pandemic had caused throughout the country. Some school districts in other states have done the same since adopting the technology essential in 2020 to make virtual school days possible.
Unfortunately for Adams, the plan didn’t go so well: Many students, teachers and administrators were unable to log in to their accounts — a problem that city officials blamed on a technology contractor. Read more at The Associated Press.
‘Low bar'
The Twin Cities is expecting its largest snowstorm of the season on Wednesday but forecasters pointed out that “the bar has been set very low” due to the lack of snow overall this year.
Snow will arrive in the Minneapolis-St Paul region by late afternoon. Between 2-5 inches of snow is expected for southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin.
Snow expected in parts of Minnesota this afternoon
Power outages resolved
Tens of thousands of people across the Northeast lost power on Tuesday during the nor’easter but those issues had been largely resolved by Wednesday.
Pennsylvania remained the worst affected with more than 42,000 households in blackout, according to utility tracker poweroutage.us.
Smaller numbers were still without power in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and other parts of New England.
The US is experiencing cold but in shorter streaks, climate scientists say
Americans are still experiencing brutally cold temperatures in winter - but for shorter bursts than previous decades.
The non-profit Climate Central found that cold streaks have shortened in 236 locations across the country, a trend that has impacts throughout the rest of the year.
A winter cold streak is defined as at least two consecutive days, between December and February, when the temperature is below the 30-year average at that location.
The US is experiencing cold streaks but for shorter periods of time than in past decades
Cold streaks shrunk by six days on average across 240 locations from 1970 to 2023, the researchers found.
Sustained wintry conditions are beneficial for the coming months - they prevent fruit and nut crops from blooming too early, keep mosquito and tick populations in check, and create snowpack that becomes critical water supply for the rest of the year.
Overall global temperature rise, driven by the emissions from fossil fuels, means that winter is warming faster than any other season across the continental US.
Another atmospheric river for the west coast
Satellite imagery captured a large storm moving in from the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.
The latest atmospheric river to impact the region is forecast to bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and heavy mountain snow along the Northwest coast and extend south down into northern California.
Watch: Tech issues plague remote learning after school was cancelled for snow day
Bundle up!
The National Weather Service’s office in New York warned of bitterly-cold temperatures on Wednesday.
The temperature dropped to 37 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8C) in New York, Newark, and New Haven.
“Keep warm if you are heading outside with your Valentine today!” the agency advised.
The temperatures dropped on Wednesday in the New York area
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