The biggest snowstorm of the season belted the northeastern United States on Sunday, sinking New York City in its second-deepest snow on record, shutting airports, snarling traffic and bringing joy to ski resorts.
As much as 24.8 inches (63.0 cm) of snow fell in New York's Central Park, only two inches short of the city's worst blizzard on December 26, 1947, which killed 77 people, according to the National Weather Service and city archives.
"Make no mistake about it, this is a very dangerous, big storm," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a news conference. "This could be one for the record books."
Whiteout conditions delayed flights and trains and shut airports from Boston to New Jersey and Washington DC, the Federal Aviation Administration and Amtrak rail service said, as the storm churned up the northeast coast from Virginia to Maine. Flakes of snow were reported as far south as Tennessee.
Several airports were closed, including New York's John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, and New Jersey's Newark International. Other airports including Boston's Logan reported delays and dozens of canceled flights.
It was the first time LaGuardia Airport in New York had closed in five years.
"It is quite a storm," said Brian Ciemnecki, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's New York bureau. "And it's still going on. In some areas we're seeing snow fall at a rate of 10 inches (25 cm) in two hours."
Major roads and highways were mostly open and passable but still covered with snow. "The driving conditions are very difficult out there. There are a lot of spinouts, minor crashes," said Tom Ryan of the Massachusetts State Police.
Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri declared a state of emergency to keep roads free for emergency vehicles as residents shoveled out cars and cleared paths from their homes and driveways with snow blowers.
"We had such a warm January, above normal," said T.J. Saotome, a 40-year-old from Bristol, Rhode Island, "but you know what? I've lived in New England long enough to know there would be a payback."
The National Weather Service posted blizzard warnings and forecast wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) with sustained winds of 25-30 mph in many Northeast regions.
Some 70,000 homes were without power in the Washington area and another 70,000 were without power in the Baltimore area. The numbers had not been fully tabulated in other areas but at least 10,000 homes were without power in New Jersey and another 3,200 in Long Island, according to media reports.
