New York and its surroundings
woke up this Tuesday covered in snow for the first time in two years,
in a storm that affects the northeast of the United States and caused the closure of schools, cancellations of flights, closure of courts and disruption of vehicle traffic.
Airlines canceled more than 1,220 flights,
including 43% of all flights operated at LaGuardia National Airport and 28% of services at Newark Airport in neighboring New Jersey, along with nearly one in five flights in the main New York air hub, JFK, according to the aviation tracker Flight Aware.
In New York, schools closed and
"more than a million students were following classes remotely"
at the end of the morning, Donald Banks, the city's education official, announced at a press conference.
This is the first time in two years that snow made it necessary to use snow plows in the country's most populated city - more than 8.5 million residents - according to authorities.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of storms with "strong winds and heavy snow... that could damage trees, power lines and disrupt travel" as well as "coastal flooding
," which could affect about 32 million people. .
Many rural areas of the northeast were completely isolated.
Snow plows were trying to clear the roads while it continued to snow heavily with visibility difficulties.
Hampton Township, New Jersey,
received 13 inches of snow
, while Chester, in upstate New York, received about 12 inches, according to forecasters.
An electric car is charging at a snow-covered station in Sparkill, New York.
AFP Photo
New York authorities warned of a drop in temperatures at the end of the day that will turn snow into ice, increasing the risk of accidents.
In Manhattan, Central Park dawned under a thick layer of white that prompted many to come out to enjoy this phenomenon that is becoming less frequent due to climate change.
The snow cover in the metropolis could reach 10 to 15 centimeters during the day.
A snow-covered car in Tappan, New York.
AFP Photo
The last snowfall in New York dates back to January 16, after going 700 days without that precipitation.
The NWS announced "strong winds and heavy snow... that could damage trees, power lines and disrupt travel."
"Coastal flooding is expected along portions of the east coast," she said.
On Christmas 2022, the so-called "blizzard of the century" left more than a meter of snow in the north and west of the vast, largely rural state of New York, causing dozens of deaths.
Many deaths were in the city of Buffalo, on the border with Canada and hundreds of kilometers northwest of the 'Big Apple'.
Source: AFP
P.B.