- In the Hudson Valley, snow fell at a rate of up to 2 inches per hour, exacerbated by wind and snow.
- Weather service meteorologists in Boston said wind gusts could reach up to 70 mph.
The winter storm that iced much of the south rolled north on Monday, wreaking havoc on vacation travel plans and snow so raging that even forecasters in snow-accustomed Buffalo, New York, said, “Wow!”
More than 3,200 flights in, to and out of the US have been canceled or delayed as of Monday afternoon, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Sunday’s weather caused similar problems for nearly 8,000 flights.
More than 110,000 homes and businesses were without power in West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Several locations in Ohio and New York had already measured more than a foot of snow on Monday. Some schools in South Carolina canceled personal learning on Tuesday. And the storm was far from over.
Meanwhile, two people died on Sunday when their car went off the road and crashed into trees in a median strip east of Raleigh, North Carolina. Investigators believe the car was traveling too fast for the conditions described as mixed winter precipitation.
Also in North Carolina, the roof of a student room at Brevard College, about 30 miles southwest of Asheville, collapsed Sunday from the weight of the snow. No students were injured.
NEED TO SHOVEL THE DRIVE OR DRIVE IN THE SNOW? How to deal with snow this winter
Snow is coming soon, piles deep in New York
“WOW! The last snow reading at 1 a.m. was 4.6 inches in the past hour at the Buffalo airport!” the National Weather Service in Buffalo tweeted. “Widespread snow/sleet continues this morning.”
Parts of New York state expected up to 18 inches of snow before the storm pulls away sometime Tuesday. But even that sounded conservative, since Lockport, in Niagara County north of Buffalo, already had 16 inches on Monday.
In the Hudson Valley, snow was falling at a rate of up to 2 inches per hour, exacerbated by wind conditions and blowing snow, the Albany Weather Service warned.
Ohio digs out as snow continues to fall
In Ohio, the town of Ashtabula, along the shore of Lake Erie, reported more than 10 inches of snow on Monday. Nearby Saybrook reported 24 inches and Pierpont saw 18 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
“The snow isn’t done yet. Neither are we,” the Ohio Transportation Department tweeted Monday. “We have 1,000 plows in the state. Roads are starting to improve in areas where the snow has settled a few hours ago, but it’s still difficult to travel in much of Ohio where the snow continues to fall.”
WHAT SHOULD A STRANDED TRAVELER DO? What airlines owe you when flights are canceled or delayed?
New England tackles wind, prepares for power outages
Hail and rain were the main threats to much of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The snow showers turned into rain overnight. Weather Service Meteorologists in Boston said wind gusts had been measured up to 65 mph.
In Massachusetts, power crews prepare for high winds. Eversource, New England’s largest energy supply company, said it was enlisting the help of states like New Jersey and Michigan, as well as teams from Canada.
Strong tornadoes destroy dozens of homes in Florida
Southwest Florida residents were cleaning up after Sunday morning storms brought a powerful tornado into Lee County near Fort Myers. A Lee County review said 30 mobile homes were destroyed and nearly 200 damaged.
Cecil Pendergrass, chairman of the County Commission, said more than 60 homes in the tornado’s path were unlivable. At least four people were injured, but no deaths have been reported.
The National Weather Service said the tornado was a Category EF2 with winds of up to 118 mph. It is the strongest tornado to hit Southwest Florida since 2016.
‘THE WINDOWS BROKE AND THAT WAS IT’:Tornadoes Slam Southwest Florida on Sleepy Sunday Morning
Contributors: Dan Rorabaugh, Fort Myers News-Press; The Associated Press
