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| US East coast brought to a standstill as blizzard delivers near-record snowfall | US East coast brought to a standstill as blizzard delivers near-record snowfall |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A blizzard with hurricane-force winds has brought much of the US East coast to a standstill, dumping as much as 3ft (90cm) of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travellers and shutting down Washington and New York City. | |
| An estimated 80 million people across 20 states are facing a second day of being effectively trapped inside due to heavy snow and dangerous conditions, which are expected to last until Sunday. | An estimated 80 million people across 20 states are facing a second day of being effectively trapped inside due to heavy snow and dangerous conditions, which are expected to last until Sunday. |
| Related: Blizzard buries eastern US as New York bans travel – as it happened | Related: Blizzard buries eastern US as New York bans travel – as it happened |
| After days of weather warnings, most people in the storm’s path heeded requests to stay home and off the roads, which were largely deserted. Yet at least 19 deaths were blamed on the weather, resulting from car crashes, shovelling snow and hypothermia. And there is more snow to come, forecasters warned. | After days of weather warnings, most people in the storm’s path heeded requests to stay home and off the roads, which were largely deserted. Yet at least 19 deaths were blamed on the weather, resulting from car crashes, shovelling snow and hypothermia. And there is more snow to come, forecasters warned. |
| “This is going to be one of those generational events, where your parents talk about how bad it was,” Ryan Maue, a meteorologist for WeatherBell Analytics, said from Tallahassee, Florida, which also got some flakes. | “This is going to be one of those generational events, where your parents talk about how bad it was,” Ryan Maue, a meteorologist for WeatherBell Analytics, said from Tallahassee, Florida, which also got some flakes. |
| The weather system was mammoth, dropping snow from the Gulf Coast to the northeastern New England states. By afternoon, areas near Washington had surpassed 30in of snow. The heaviest unofficial report was in a rural area of West Virginia, not far from Harper’s Ferry, with 40in. | The weather system was mammoth, dropping snow from the Gulf Coast to the northeastern New England states. By afternoon, areas near Washington had surpassed 30in of snow. The heaviest unofficial report was in a rural area of West Virginia, not far from Harper’s Ferry, with 40in. |
| My favorite picture of the #blizzard2016 so far. Deserted NY streets. Taken by my friend Joe Thompson. #nyc pic.twitter.com/cDCND8axte | My favorite picture of the #blizzard2016 so far. Deserted NY streets. Taken by my friend Joe Thompson. #nyc pic.twitter.com/cDCND8axte |
| “It seems the weather forecasters got it right this time,” New York governor Andrew Cuomo said at a morning press conference. “There is a blizzard.” | “It seems the weather forecasters got it right this time,” New York governor Andrew Cuomo said at a morning press conference. “There is a blizzard.” |
| Like officials all around the east coast, he warned people to stay off the roads: “I don’t care how superb a driver, how big a four-wheel drive vehicle you have, the roads are barely passable.” | Like officials all around the east coast, he warned people to stay off the roads: “I don’t care how superb a driver, how big a four-wheel drive vehicle you have, the roads are barely passable.” |
| “The roads are technically open,” Cuomo said. “But if you really do not need to leave your house, I can’t stress enough you should not leave your house.” | “The roads are technically open,” Cuomo said. “But if you really do not need to leave your house, I can’t stress enough you should not leave your house.” |
| Cuomo said he was particularly concerned about flooding conditions – “what I consider the worst of Mother Nature’s wrath” – in New York City and along Long Island. Swells rivaled those of hurricane Sandy in some areas, though officials insisted the storm did not rival the 2012 disaster. | Cuomo said he was particularly concerned about flooding conditions – “what I consider the worst of Mother Nature’s wrath” – in New York City and along Long Island. Swells rivaled those of hurricane Sandy in some areas, though officials insisted the storm did not rival the 2012 disaster. |
| Airlines cancelled nearly 7,000 weekend flights and started to cut Monday service. | Airlines cancelled nearly 7,000 weekend flights and started to cut Monday service. |
| As the storm picked up, forecasters increased their snow predictions for New York and points north and warned areas nearly as far north as Boston to expect heavy snow. | As the storm picked up, forecasters increased their snow predictions for New York and points north and warned areas nearly as far north as Boston to expect heavy snow. |
| “This is kind of a Top 10 snowstorm,” said weather service winter storm expert Paul Kocin, who co-wrote a two-volume textbook on blizzards. | “This is kind of a Top 10 snowstorm,” said weather service winter storm expert Paul Kocin, who co-wrote a two-volume textbook on blizzards. |
| It was the third biggest snowstorm in New York City’s history, where more than 25in of snow had fallen as of 7pm on Saturday, close to the record, 26.9in, set in February 2006. | It was the third biggest snowstorm in New York City’s history, where more than 25in of snow had fallen as of 7pm on Saturday, close to the record, 26.9in, set in February 2006. |
| Central Park storm total snow accumulation as of midnight was 26.8 inches. That makes this the second largest snowstorm since 1869 in NYC. | Central Park storm total snow accumulation as of midnight was 26.8 inches. That makes this the second largest snowstorm since 1869 in NYC. |
| Three people died while shoveling snow. The normally bustling streets around Rockefeller Center, Penn Station and other landmarks were mostly empty and Broadway shows were cancelled. Those who did venture out walked down the middle of snow-covered streets to avoid even deeper drifts on the sidewalks. | Three people died while shoveling snow. The normally bustling streets around Rockefeller Center, Penn Station and other landmarks were mostly empty and Broadway shows were cancelled. Those who did venture out walked down the middle of snow-covered streets to avoid even deeper drifts on the sidewalks. |
| Officials imposed a travel ban in the city, ordering all non-emergency vehicles off the roads. Commuter rails and above-ground segments of the nation’s biggest subway system shut down, too, along with buses. | Officials imposed a travel ban in the city, ordering all non-emergency vehicles off the roads. Commuter rails and above-ground segments of the nation’s biggest subway system shut down, too, along with buses. |
| Quite a few cars buried in lower Manhattan. #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/aRWzd5kPjB | Quite a few cars buried in lower Manhattan. #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/aRWzd5kPjB |
| As recently as Friday night, New York officials had expected the storm to top out at 18in. But that prediction jumped to 28in by Saturday evening. | As recently as Friday night, New York officials had expected the storm to top out at 18in. But that prediction jumped to 28in by Saturday evening. |
| Homeward bound #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/HnTaVi0TnO | Homeward bound #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/HnTaVi0TnO |
| In Washington, monuments that would typically be busy with tourists stood vacant. All mass transit in the capital was to be shut down through Sunday. | In Washington, monuments that would typically be busy with tourists stood vacant. All mass transit in the capital was to be shut down through Sunday. |
| Throughout the region, drivers skidded off snowy, icy roads in accidents that killed several people as the storm raged Friday and Saturday. Those killed included a four-year-old boy in North Carolina; a Kentucky transportation worker who was plowing highways; and a woman whose car plunged down a 300ft embankment in Tennessee. | Throughout the region, drivers skidded off snowy, icy roads in accidents that killed several people as the storm raged Friday and Saturday. Those killed included a four-year-old boy in North Carolina; a Kentucky transportation worker who was plowing highways; and a woman whose car plunged down a 300ft embankment in Tennessee. |
| Someone's car. #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/0Lif3V6zga | Someone's car. #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/0Lif3V6zga |
| In Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, drivers were marooned for hours in snow-choked highways. | In Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, drivers were marooned for hours in snow-choked highways. |
| The Temple University women’s gymnastics team, the Duquesne University’s men’s basketball team and a church group from Indiana were among travelers who got stuck when the Pennsylvania Turnpike turned into a snowy parking lot. | The Temple University women’s gymnastics team, the Duquesne University’s men’s basketball team and a church group from Indiana were among travelers who got stuck when the Pennsylvania Turnpike turned into a snowy parking lot. |
| Father Shaun Whittington said he and his nearly 100 parishioners, mostly teenagers, got stranded on their way home Friday evening from the March for Life in Washington. They had enough gas to keep the buses running and enough DVDs to keep the kids entertained until nearly noon Saturday, when plows finally arrived, Whittington said. | Father Shaun Whittington said he and his nearly 100 parishioners, mostly teenagers, got stranded on their way home Friday evening from the March for Life in Washington. They had enough gas to keep the buses running and enough DVDs to keep the kids entertained until nearly noon Saturday, when plows finally arrived, Whittington said. |
| “We’re on a pilgrimage,” he said. “There’s going to be suffering with that.” | “We’re on a pilgrimage,” he said. “There’s going to be suffering with that.” |
| The snow was whipped into a maelstrom by winds that reached 75mph (120 kph) at Dewey Beach, Delaware, and Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, the weather service said. From Virginia to New York, sustained winds topped 30mph and gusted to around 50mph. | The snow was whipped into a maelstrom by winds that reached 75mph (120 kph) at Dewey Beach, Delaware, and Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, the weather service said. From Virginia to New York, sustained winds topped 30mph and gusted to around 50mph. |
| The storm also knocked out electricity to thousands of homes and businesses. | The storm also knocked out electricity to thousands of homes and businesses. |