US Northeast hit by blizzards, cold, after record snow

BOSTON - The U.S. Northeast struggled to dig out from the latest in a series of winter storms that made February the snowiest month in Boston's history, while Kentucky and Indiana braced for heavy snow on Sunday night and Monday.

Blizzard conditions forced the cancellation of more than 1,800 U.S. airline flights on Sunday, most of them into and out of airports in Boston and New York, where wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour (97 kph) were predicted.

A woman in New Jersey was found frozen to death in the snow near her home on Sunday morning. In the Midwest, snow around Lake Michigan caused a three-dozen-car pileup on a major Chicago expressway, sending 12 people to the hospital for injuries.

Temperatures are 25 to 30 degrees (14 to 17 degrees Celsius) below normal for the East Coast, exacerbated by strong winds, said meteorologist Bruce Sullivan of the National Weather Service.

The temperature at 1 p.m. in Boston was around 18 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 8 Celsius), but felt like zero (minus 18 Celsius) thanks to wind chill. By Monday morning, it was likely to feel like minus 20 (minus 29 Celsius), the NWS said.

The latest storm heaped disappointment on retailers who were relying on the Presidents' Day weekend and Valentine's Day to make up for subpar sales during the last three lashings of snow.

Massive snowfall from Boston's fourth major snowstorm in two weeks set a record for the city's snowiest month since weather records were kept, the NWS said.

Boston had seen about 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow since late January and had already set a record for accumulations in a single week. Bitter cold and huge drifts hampered snow removal efforts.

"Hopefully, it will stop eventually," Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said on Sunday, pleading with drivers to stay off dangerous roads.

KENTUCKY, INDIANA BRACE FOR SNOW

While the Northeast dug out, Kentucky and southern Indiana were bracing for a storm.

"A significant winter storm with snowfall totals potentially in the double digits ... will impact southern Indiana and central Kentucky" Sunday night and Monday, the National Weather Service said, forecasting 10-15 inches across portions of south central Kentucky.

Still, nothing compared with Massachusetts, where 20 inches (50 cm) fell on the coastal town of Ipswich on Sunday and relentless winds were expected to pile up dangerous drifts of the lightweight snow

In Boston restaurants sought to coax customers out of hibernation for a meal or drink on Sunday evening, when the snow was expected to let up. One South Boston eatery added the hashtag "#cabinfever" to its Twitter messages.

"You don't want to stay penned up all day," said Allie Needham, 26, a business analyst at a chemical company, as she walked along an empty street in Cambridge on her way to meet friends for breakfast.

With all public transportation suspended in Boston on Sunday, Bostonians got creative. In the Back Bay neighborhood, a snowboarder hitched a ride from a snowmobile. One resident on Twitter said it was about time for an entrepreneur to start up a dog sled service.

Across the state, about 600 members of the National Guard were helping out during the blizzard, said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

Conditions were so bad in New Hampshire that the town of Alton called off its annual ice carnival this weekend.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

First blizzard of 2015 pounds East Coast

JERSEY CITY, NJ - Jersey City residents woke up to piles and piles of snow after winter storm Juno pounded the North East Coast.

Heavy snow and ice accumulated overnight.

In Jersey City's Little Manila, a couple of Filipinos rushed to remove about eight inches of snow before their rooftop gave way.

Residents spent their morning cleaning up winter storm Juno's mess.

But the conditions were not as bad as predicted at least in Jersey City and in nearby New York City.

"We did what was necessary to keep people safe. By the way, by getting everyone off the road, the sanitation department could get out there, and now we'll get back to normal much more quickly," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Blizzard warnings and statewide travels bans that went into effect at 11 p.m. Monday night have been lifted.

The National Weather Service said the forecasted scenario of 30 inches of snow fizzled out as the storm passed further east than anticipated.

Pinoy postal worker Freddie Templo said, "Ok yung state preparedness nila na may maaga silang warning, cautions for safety."

Nevertheless, it's still a snow day for many residents including Filipino store clerk Ramon Lagasca.

"Walang pasok ngayon at saka bukas, tatawag lang kami kung anong oras kami magsisimula bukas, so hindi namin alam bukas kung paano," Ramon Lagasca said.

Businesses were affected as people heeded warnings to stay home.

Store worker Herman Bebita said, "Maraming tao dapat. Gawa ng weather na di maganda, walang lumalabas dahil sa taas ng yelo o sa sama ng panahon."

But the brunt of the monster storm fell in Massachusetts.

Thousands are without power. The storm is expected to move out late Tuesday night.

Thanks to the travel ban, plows worked overnight to make streets passable and public transportation up to speed.

Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

All 50 US states feeling freezing temperatures

NEW YORK - Temperatures in all 50 U.S. states dipped to freezing or below on Tuesday as an unseasonably cold blast of weather moved across the country, while heavy snow prompted a state of emergency in western New York.

In the U.S. South, states were bracing for a record chill from the Arctic-born cold that swept the Rocky Mountains last week.

Every U.S. state, including Hawaii, was bitten by temperatures at the freezing point of 32 degrees F (0 C) or below, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Hawaii's Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, had low temperatures of 30 F (-1 C) to 32 F, said NWS spokeswoman Susan Buchanan.

It was the coldest November morning across the country since 1976, according to Weather Bell Analytics, a meteorologist consulting firm. Typically, such cold is not seen until late December through February, the NWS said.

Parts of Erie County, in western New York, had 60 inches (1.5 m) of snow, with more falling, said Steven Welch of the National Weather Service near Buffalo.

Snow had fallen at a rate of up to 5 inches (13 cm) an hour, and the 24-hour total could reach 70 inches (178 cm), threatening the U.S. record for a populated area, Welch said..

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 10 counties. National Guard troops were deployed to help residents cope with the storm.

A total of 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 metres) of snow was expected in many areas of western New York and as much as 6 feet (1.8 metres) elsewhere, the NWS said.

A 140-mile (225-km) stretch of the New York State Thruway along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario was closed. Bans on driving were implemented in some places.

A bus carrying the Niagara University women's basketball team had been stuck on the Thruway since 2 a.m., the school said.

In Florida, freezing temperatures were expected through Wednesday morning, the NWS said.

"I can't stand it," said Robin Roy, 53, shivering underneath a rainbow-colored poncho at an outdoor market in Gulfport, Florida. "I've never liked the cold."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com