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| US snow: National Weather Service admits forecast error | US snow: National Weather Service admits forecast error |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US National Weather Service (NWS) has admitted its forecasts were wrong, after predicting a "potentially historic blizzard" would strike New York City. | The US National Weather Service (NWS) has admitted its forecasts were wrong, after predicting a "potentially historic blizzard" would strike New York City. |
| The city was largely spared as the storm piled deep snow on Connecticut and Massachusetts. | The city was largely spared as the storm piled deep snow on Connecticut and Massachusetts. |
| City mayor Bill de Blasio denied he had overreacted to warnings, saying he could only go on information available. | City mayor Bill de Blasio denied he had overreacted to warnings, saying he could only go on information available. |
| Blizzard warnings remain in effect for Maine and eastern New Hampshire. | Blizzard warnings remain in effect for Maine and eastern New Hampshire. |
| "Rapidly deepening winter storms are very challenging to predict," the NWS wrote on its Facebook page. | "Rapidly deepening winter storms are very challenging to predict," the NWS wrote on its Facebook page. |
| "The storm has moved further east and will be departing faster than our forecasts of the past two days. | "The storm has moved further east and will be departing faster than our forecasts of the past two days. |
| "The result is much less snow than previously predicted for the western half of our region," it added. | "The result is much less snow than previously predicted for the western half of our region," it added. |
| On Monday, an emergency was declared in a swathe of north-eastern states, and meteorologists predicted up to 90cm (36in) of snow. Officials later downgraded the numbers. | On Monday, an emergency was declared in a swathe of north-eastern states, and meteorologists predicted up to 90cm (36in) of snow. Officials later downgraded the numbers. |
| The New York City authorities imposed a driving ban - since lifted - and took the unprecedented step of shutting the subway. | The New York City authorities imposed a driving ban - since lifted - and took the unprecedented step of shutting the subway. |
| But on Tuesday, New Yorkers awoke to a blanket of snow less deep than feared, and since then city life has been getting back to normal. | But on Tuesday, New Yorkers awoke to a blanket of snow less deep than feared, and since then city life has been getting back to normal. |
| "Would you rather be prepared or unprepared? Would you rather be safe or unsafe?" asked Mr de Blasio, defending the moves. | "Would you rather be prepared or unprepared? Would you rather be safe or unsafe?" asked Mr de Blasio, defending the moves. |
| "My job as the leader is to make decisions and I will always err on the side of safety and caution." | "My job as the leader is to make decisions and I will always err on the side of safety and caution." |
| Analysis: Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York | Analysis: Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York |
| Shutting down the New York subway system, for the first time in its history because of snow, can easily be viewed in retrospect like overkill. So does bringing in a car curfew, which banned non-emergency vehicles from the streets from 23:00 on Monday night. | Shutting down the New York subway system, for the first time in its history because of snow, can easily be viewed in retrospect like overkill. So does bringing in a car curfew, which banned non-emergency vehicles from the streets from 23:00 on Monday night. |
| Walking the empty streets of Manhattan pre-dawn, and seeing the snow, we all found ourselves asking the same question: "Is that it?" | Walking the empty streets of Manhattan pre-dawn, and seeing the snow, we all found ourselves asking the same question: "Is that it?" |
| It reminded me of that scene from Crocodile Dundee, when Mick Dundee is confronted by muggers wielding a switchblade. "That's not a knife," he says, pulling out a much scarier weapon. "This is a knife." | It reminded me of that scene from Crocodile Dundee, when Mick Dundee is confronted by muggers wielding a switchblade. "That's not a knife," he says, pulling out a much scarier weapon. "This is a knife." |
| That's not a storm, some New Yorkers told us, as they made their way to work muttering that Bill de Blasio had got it badly wrong. | That's not a storm, some New Yorkers told us, as they made their way to work muttering that Bill de Blasio had got it badly wrong. |
| New Yorkers ask 'Is that it?' | New Yorkers ask 'Is that it?' |
| Other areas of New York state saw much heavier snowfall, with "blizzard conditions" across Long Island, according to the NSW. | Other areas of New York state saw much heavier snowfall, with "blizzard conditions" across Long Island, according to the NSW. |
| A teenage boy was later killed in a sledging accident in the area. | A teenage boy was later killed in a sledging accident in the area. |
| Worst affected elsewhere were Connecticut and Massachusetts, with the heaviest snowfall recorded outside Boston - 91 cm (36 in) of snow in Lunenburg by Tuesday night. | Worst affected elsewhere were Connecticut and Massachusetts, with the heaviest snowfall recorded outside Boston - 91 cm (36 in) of snow in Lunenburg by Tuesday night. |
| In Connecticut, an elderly man collapsed while shovelling snow. He died later in hospital on Tuesday. | In Connecticut, an elderly man collapsed while shovelling snow. He died later in hospital on Tuesday. |
| At the scene: Gary O'Donoghue, BBC, Scituate, Massachusetts | At the scene: Gary O'Donoghue, BBC, Scituate, Massachusetts |
| Flooding is a big threat here. The town of Scituate is bracing itself for a high tide in the coming hours and the neighbouring town of Marshfield has already had its sea wall breached. | Flooding is a big threat here. The town of Scituate is bracing itself for a high tide in the coming hours and the neighbouring town of Marshfield has already had its sea wall breached. |
| Some along this coast have already been evacuated from their homes and the streets are largely empty of people. | Some along this coast have already been evacuated from their homes and the streets are largely empty of people. |
| The storm is expected to continue to whip the eastern part of the state until early Wednesday - and only after that can a true assessment be made of its impact. | The storm is expected to continue to whip the eastern part of the state until early Wednesday - and only after that can a true assessment be made of its impact. |
| The storm also caused coastal flooding in Massachusetts. High tides breached a sea wall and damaged 11 homes in Marshfield, 50km (30 miles) south of Boston. | The storm also caused coastal flooding in Massachusetts. High tides breached a sea wall and damaged 11 homes in Marshfield, 50km (30 miles) south of Boston. |
| The state's only nuclear power station shut down after the blizzard interrupted its power flow. | The state's only nuclear power station shut down after the blizzard interrupted its power flow. |
| Thousands of people are still without power, more than 45,000 of them in Massachusetts. | Thousands of people are still without power, more than 45,000 of them in Massachusetts. |
| But Governor Charlie Baker said the snow had been "fluffier and lighter" than anticipated, meaning there were less power outages. | But Governor Charlie Baker said the snow had been "fluffier and lighter" than anticipated, meaning there were less power outages. |
| Flights are set to resume early on Wednesday at Boston's Logan International Airport, along with trains to New York and Washington. | Flights are set to resume early on Wednesday at Boston's Logan International Airport, along with trains to New York and Washington. |
| But air travel remains disrupted, with more than 800 flights cancelled, according to flightaware.com. | But air travel remains disrupted, with more than 800 flights cancelled, according to flightaware.com. |
| "The wind here is tremendous, it's difficult to see very far out the window," said Christie Craigheard in New Hampshire, another of the affected areas. | "The wind here is tremendous, it's difficult to see very far out the window," said Christie Craigheard in New Hampshire, another of the affected areas. |
| The NWS is still warning of potentially life-threatening conditions along the New England coast, as the storm heads north into Canada. | The NWS is still warning of potentially life-threatening conditions along the New England coast, as the storm heads north into Canada. |
| Meteorologists expect the snow to continue into early Wednesday in eastern New England. | Meteorologists expect the snow to continue into early Wednesday in eastern New England. |