A snowstorm that dumped up to a foot of snow in the Midwest has moved east, where it merged with low pressure, bringing heavy snow and freezing temperatures to the Northeast. Residents from Michigan to Maine have had their lives disrupted.
CONNECTICUT
More than 200 accidents were reported in Connecticut, where the winter storm could bring record-breaking frigid temperatures. State police reported 224 accidents with 25 minor injuries and 2,719 calls for service by Friday morning. Much of the state received 4 to 8 inches of snow. The National Weather Service says the bitter cold will continue with temperatures expected to fall below zero overnight and could set a record.
DELAWARE
State and county government offices and public schools are closed after the storm dumped 2 to 7 inches of snow around the state. Winter storm warnings remain in effect statewide. Transportation officials warn that roads are not clear and they’re are asking people to stay home if possible.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Many schools systems closed after the storm blew through Washington and surrounding areas overnight, leaving at least 2 inches of snow. The federal government and the District of Columbia government were open Friday, but workers were given the option to take leave or work from home.
ILLINOIS
Nearly 17 inches of snow fell Thursday in some of Chicago’s northern suburbs, and more than 12 inches of snow was recorded at Midway International Airport. The temperature is expected to be a lingering problem. The National Weather Service says Chicago-area wind chills Monday and Tuesday could sink to 45 below zero.
INDIANA
The National Weather Service recorded lows of 10 below zero in Fort Wayne and Goshen on Friday morning. That set the coldest mark for the date ever recorded in Fort Wayne. The weather service says the 2-below zero temperature recorded in Indianapolis on Friday was that city’s coldest since Jan. 21, 2011.
MAINE
Maine was spared from the brunt of the snow, but residents suffered from sub-zero temperatures with wind chills making it feel like 35 degrees below zero in some areas. Forecasters say it could reach 30 degrees below or colder in some western Maine valleys Friday night, while central and southern Maine will see it dip between minus-10 and minus-15 before gradually warming up by Saturday afternoon into the 20s.
MARYLAND
The National Weather Service says the storm dropped up to 7 inches of snow north of Baltimore on Friday. Maryland’s State Highway Administration urged “extreme caution” for motorists because plummeting temperatures can quickly turn wet spots into icy roads. State officials restricted traffic on several bridges, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, after reports of sustained winds exceeding 50 mph Friday morning.
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts residents woke up to nearly 2 feet of snow in some areas and wind chills well below zero. The National Weather Service says the temperature in Boston was 2 degrees Friday morning but felt like 20-below. Boston had more than 13 inches of snow, with higher amounts north of the city, including 21 inches in Boxford.
MICHIGAN
Temperatures are in the single-digits across much of Michigan on Friday morning, with readings of 2 degrees below zero at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The National Weather Service reports that the storm Tuesday through Thursday left 11.6 inches of snow in Wyandotte and 11.1 inches in Romulus, both in Metro Detroit. More snow is expected late Saturday and Sunday. And colder weather is forecast for Monday.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The storm is expected to move out of the area later Friday, but the cold will linger. Wind chill readings are ranging from 15-below to 35-below zero, and more of the same is expected Friday night. Most flights Friday morning were canceled at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and numerous schools remained closed for a second day.
NEW JERSEY
Schools, government offices and businesses closed Friday after more than 10 inches of snow accumulated in some areas of New Jersey and ushered bitterly cold temperatures. A New Jersey Transit bus slid backward down an icy hill in Paterson and crashed into a carpet store. The driver was the only person on the bus and she had minor injuries. More than one-fourth of Friday’s outgoing flights at Newark Liberty Airport were canceled.
NEW YORK
Kennedy Airport is open, but flights have been suspended due to zero visibility and high winds. All New York City subways are running local for the start of the morning rush. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says local service will remain in effect until all the trains are moved from express tracks where they were stored underground overnight. Authorities say a woman with Alzheimer’s disease froze to death after wandering away from her rural western New York home.
OHIO
Ohio got some of the coldest temperatures in the state in years Friday, with more snow and colder weather expected during the next few days. Temperatures in some areas were in single digits to start the day, with wind chills well below zero. Forecasters said wind chills in Cleveland could dip as low as 20-below. After a warm up Saturday and Sunday, temperatures will dive back down, with highs throughout the state from only zero to 5 for Monday
PENNSYLVANIA
Between 2 and 8 inches of snow was scattered across Pennsylvania on Friday morning. School children in Pittsburgh were asked to attend school two hours late. Gov. Tom Corbett also told state employees to report two hours late. In eastern Pennsylvania, most school districts, including Philadelphia and Allentown, were closed. Some pre-dawn temperatures were in the single digits. Authorities say a worker at a suburban Philadelphia road salt storage facility died when a 100-foot-tall pile of salt fell and crushed him on a backhoe.
RHODE ISLAND
The National Weather Service says temperatures were in the single digits around Rhode Island on Friday morning. The wind chill at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick fell to minus-20 overnight. Across the state, communities opened warming centers at libraries, senior centers and other buildings. Most schools were closed. Forecasters said snow totals were expected to be between 6 and 10 inches.
VERMONT
It was 8 degrees below zero in Burlington on Friday morning, with a wind chill of 29 below zero. The National Weather Service says there’s a good chance of more snow showers Friday morning, with not much accumulation. Icy roads led to a car crash Thursday night in the town of St. Albans, in which rescue workers pulled an infant up a steep embankment.
WEST VIRGINIA
The National Weather Service says the temperature dropped to 7 degrees in Beckley on Friday morning. High temperatures in the teens were forecast for many areas, with the wind chill as low as 15 to 20 degrees below zero in the morning. There were reports of several traffic accidents on roads covered with ice and snow. Some areas in the eastern part of the state had up to 6 inches of snow. Many schools were closed or opening late.
Source: Associated Press
