The northeastern United States experienced a strong winter storm which created heavy snow across vast regions and resulted in widespread interruptions of travel and electricity service. The National Weather Service reported that New York City areas received 15 inches of snow during the night.

The aviation industry experienced major disruptions as airline companies cancelled thousands of flights which brought all travel activities to a standstill.

The authorities established a travel ban which prohibited all non-essential trips in New York City until noon because the region experienced dangerous weather conditions. The United States experienced flight delays which resulted in 5000 flight cancellations when the authorities shut down all traffic to roads and bridges.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings which extended from North Carolina to northern Maine while eastern Canadian regions received severe weather alerts. Weather forecasts predicted that certain regions would receive up to 2 feet (60 cm) of snowfall.

The storm caused widespread power outages in the entire region. The storm disrupted power supply across the Northeast. More than 430,000 customers lost their electricity supply, according to outage trackers. The state of New Jersey experienced approximately 122,000 outages while Massachusetts had 99,000 outages and Delaware saw 71,000 customers lose their power.

Utility companies reported that destructive snowfall caused heavy snow to collapse trees and power lines and utility poles which would delay restoration efforts for multiple days.

The storm brought a blizzard warning to New York City which had not been issued in almost nine years. The early morning footage showed Empire State Building and other landmarks hidden behind snow which blew through the area with strong winds.

The severe weather conditions caused transportation disruptions because train platforms and highways became completely snowbound while workers tried to restore normal operations.

What Is a Nor’easter?

Meteorologists described the system as a “nor’easter,” a powerful low-pressure storm that forms along the US East Coast. The storms create dangerous weather conditions when polar cold air meets Atlantic Ocean warm moist air which generates heavy snowfall and strong winds and coastal flooding.

Officials have urged residents to stay iThe northeastern United States experienced a strong winter storm which created heavy snow across vast regions and resulted in widespread interruptions of travel and electricity service. The National Weather Service reported that New York City areas received 15 inches of snow during the night.