Winter Storm Hits US, Disrupting Flight, Schools

A potent Nor'easter storm swept through parts of New England and New York on Tuesday, delivering significant snowfall and disrupting both air travel and educational activities.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that approximately 13 million individuals were under a winter storm warning until 7 p.m. local time. 

The storm brought heavy snow and wind gusts reaching up to 60 miles per hour, impacting the region with adverse weather conditions.

Notably, areas such as Farmington, Connecticut, and Sussex, New Jersey experienced up to a foot of snow accumulation by midday, as per the NWS's data.

The adverse weather led to substantial disruptions in air travel, with over 1,100 flights to and from key airports including New York's LaGuardia, Boston Logan International, and Newark Liberty International being either delayed or canceled, as tracked by Flightaware.com.

The storm also resulted in power outages, affecting at least 130,000 homes and businesses across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and some parts of New York and New England, according to poweroutage.us.

In New York City, the snow ceased by midday, leaving varying snowfall depths from three to eight inches in different locales.

City officials reported that more than 2,000 trucks and snowplows were deployed to manage the snow on streets, while also urging residents to clear snow from sidewalks adjacent to their properties.

The city's emergency management agency issued a Travel Advisory due to the potential for icy roads as temperatures dropped and the snow began to melt. They encouraged drivers to remain cautious while navigating the roads.

The winter storm also led to the cancellation of in-person classes across numerous school districts, including New York City, which resorted to remote learning for its one million students.

However, the transition to online classes encountered technical difficulties, with reports of students and teachers struggling to log into the system.

The NYC Public Schools account issued an apology for the inconvenience, attributing the issue to capacity limitations but assured that efforts were being made to resolve the problem.