Photos: Deadly winter storm blankets Midwest, Northeast and knocks out power to thousands

By Amanda Schmidt, AccuWeather staff writer
By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer
January 21, 2019, 2:41:17 PM EST


A dangerous winter storm moved across the Midwest and Northeast this past weekend, blanketing areas of the region with snow and bringing some of the lowest temperatures of the season.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter storm warnings or advisories for part or all of at least 15 states ahead of the storm.

"The storm pushed eastward out of the Rockies, continued through the Plains and into the Northeast. The stretch of snow of over a foot ranged from northeast Ohio through northern Pennsylvania and into New York, through Vermont and New Hampshire into Maine," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Before heading the Bradenton, Fla. for spring training, A.J. Marschike, of the Pittsburgh Pirates video department, shoots the snow covered statue of Pirates Hall of Fame outfielder Robert Clemente outside PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019.

(AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Carter Martin shovels a sidewalk at Maplefields store and gas station on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Plainfield, Vermont.

(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Crews clear snow at the Albany International Airport in Colonie, N.Y., Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A runner runs through West Park on the Northside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019.

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miguel Delao, of Norwood, Mass., front, shovels snow in front of his home, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Norwood.

(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Motorists try to fix their windshield wipers during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Portland, Maine.

Robert F. Bukaty

James Spanos pushes a cart of his belongings on a snow-covered street during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Portland, Maine.

(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Caleb Seely rides a unicycle on a snow covered sidewalk as he heads home after helping shovel out his brother's driveway during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Portland, Maine.

(Instagram/chrissiwit)

Roads were unsafe for travel in Milwaukee, Wisc., on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.

(Instagram/murphy_thelabrador)

A pup in Naperville, Ill., enjoyed the snow on Saturday, Jan. 19.

(Photo/Dan Eidsmoe)

Snow blanketed Chicago, Illinois, on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.

(AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Bill Moore cross-country skis down a street on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Montpelier, Vermont.

(Photo/Dan Eidsmoe)

Heavy snow piled up on streets and sidewalks in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 19, 2019.

(Twitter/MSHPTrooperC)

A crash on a snow-covered I-55 closed part of the highway in Sainte Genevieve County in eastern Missouri on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Pedestrians walk in the snow in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

A vehicle spins out on Interstate 94 in Detroit, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019. The massive storm dumped 10 inches of snow on some areas of the Midwest.

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation road treatment truck pulls in to attach a plow at a storage facility in Franklin Park, Pa. on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.

(AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

A deicing agent is applied to a SkyWest airplane before its takeoff, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

(Photo/Dan Eidsmoe)

Morning snow created picturesque scenes in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2019.


The storm disrupted air travel and caused treacherous, icy driving conditions throughout affected regions. At least one fatality has been associated with this storm due to slick road conditions.

More than 1,500 flights were canceled nationwide on Sunday, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking company. Boston’s Logan Airport was among the hardest hit with hundreds of flights delayed or canceled.

In Chicago, a plane skidded from a slick runway at O’Hare International Airport. No injuries were reported, according to the Associated Press (AP).

"Snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain for a time before changing to plain rain for most of the I-95 corridor from coastal New England southward. Heavy rainfall over southern Pennsylvania and into Maryland and Virginia led to some isolated flooding," Reppert said.

The storm caused travel problems in the Midwest, as it dumped up to 10 inches of snow on parts of the region on Saturday.

In Kansas, a snowplow driver was killed when his vehicle rolled over. And in southeastern Missouri, slippery conditions caused a 15-vehicle crash on Interstate 55, the AP reported.

Public officials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania announced travel restrictions ahead of the storm.

Amtrak canceled trains across the Midwest and Northeast over the weekend due to the storm, but said full service would resume on Monday.

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Ice storm strikes New England; Snowstorm tops a foot across the interior
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Thousands throughout Midwest and Northeast lost power due to the storm.

As ice accumulated on trees and power lines Sunday, utilities in Connecticut reported more than 20,000 customers without power, the Associated Press reports.

The coast from New York to Boston largely escaped major snowfall Sunday but experienced plummeting temperatures as snow gave way to icy rain and sleet.

Coastal flooding was reported across New England on Sunday, including in the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts.

Mountain regions saw significantly more snow, with the Adirondacks in upstate New York registering close to 2 feet of snow.

NY Snowfall


Some of the highest snow and ice reports from the winter storm have been reported in New England and New York. Among the highest are Lake Desolation, New York, with 26.3 inches and Walden, Vermont, with 18.5 inches.

The snowstorm was followed up by a blast of brutally cold air on Sunday night, which could be dangerous for those left without power in the wake of the storm.

AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures plummeted across the northeastern United States on Sunday night and Monday morning as the region experienced some of the lowest temperatures so far this season. Below is a list of the lowest AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures recorded on Sunday night and early Monday morning:

  • Boston -22F
  • Buffalo, New York -30F
  • Binghamton, New York -41F
  • Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania -46F
  • Mount Washington, New Hampshire -70F


Join host Regina Miller as she examines Forensic Meteorology and the reconstruction of weather events for legal testimonies. Steve Wistar, AccuWeather’s Forensic Meteorologist and Certified Consulting Meteorologist recalls prominent legal cases where winter weather played a key role in the verdicts.

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