Massive snowstorm disrupts millions across US East Coast

A powerful winter storm swept across the eastern United States on Fbruary 23, dumping record levels of snowfall, disrupting daily life for millions of residents, and forcing thousands of flight cancellations across the region.

According to the National Weather Service, cited by foreign media, parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts received nearly 37 inches (94 cm) of snow, while more than 19 inches accumulated in New York City’s Central Park. Authorities warned that travel conditions in New York were “near impossible,” as the storm intensified across the region.

More than 600,000 homes and businesses along the East Coast lost electricity, with New Jersey and Massachusetts experiencing the most widespread outages. Winter storm warnings extended from North Carolina to northern Maine, with additional alerts issued for parts of eastern Canada.

Rhode Island — the smallest US state — appeared to bear the brunt of the storm, which local media described as the most severe snowstorm in its history. The state capital, Providence, recorded 36 inches of snow, surpassing the previous single-storm record of 28.6 inches set in February 1978.

Officials imposed bans on non-essential travel in Rhode Island and neighbouring Connecticut. Later, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a similar restriction, ordering a travel ban across southeastern parts of the state and reducing the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike to 40 mph (25 km/h).

“Whiteout conditions are making travel extremely dangerous,” Healey said in an online statement, warning that emergency responders could struggle to reach stranded motorists and urging residents to stay off the roads.

In Massachusetts alone, nearly 300,000 customers lost power, according to outage tracking data, including about 85% of users in Barnstable County, which encompasses all of Cape Cod.

New York City, home to more than eight million people, was brought almost to a standstill after a travel ban closed roads, highways, and bridges before authorities lifted the restrictions at noon local time. Meanwhile, officials in Connecticut and New Jersey warned that falling trees and branches could further worsen road conditions and trigger additional outages.

In Providence, city officials told The Providence Journal that more than 300 vehicles had been towed after drivers parked in areas blocking snowplough operations. By Monday afternoon, however, towing efforts were suspended as crews and residents shifted focus to helping motorists whose vehicles had become stuck.

Air travel across the United States was severely affected. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported more than 5,706 cancellations for flights within, into, or out of the country.

Nearly all departures were halted at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where 98% of flights were cancelled, while 91% of flights were scrapped at John F. Kennedy International Airport — two major hubs that typically handle more than 335,000 passengers daily. Both airports recorded around 19 inches (48 cm) of snowfall.

Elsewhere, Logan International Airport in Boston cancelled 92% of outbound flights, matching cancellation levels at Newark Liberty International Airport, while Philadelphia International Airport cut about 80% of departures.

Disruptions continue into Tuesday, February 24, with more than 2,000 additional flight cancellations forecast nationwide, particularly affecting airports in Boston and New York as the region continued to deal with the storm’s aftermath.

By Tamilla Hasanova