Photos: Powerful snowstorm brings travel to a standstill in coastal mid-Atlantic, New England
A record-setting snowstorm brought blizzard conditions, significant coastal flooding and over a foot of snow to portions of the northeastern United States on Thursday.
After unleashing a rare snowy scene along the southern Atlantic Seaboard at midweek, the storm underwent rapid strengthening, known as bombogenesis, off the East Coast. Pressure within the center of the storm dropped 1.74 inches of mercury (59 mb) in 24 hours from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning.
“The storm had a central pressure of 28.08 inches of mercury (951 mb) [at noon EST Thursday] and was more intense than the 1991 Perfect Storm and the Blizzard of 1993," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell.
"These storms had pressures of 28.70 inches of mercury (972 mb) and 28.34 inches (960 mb) respectively,” Ferrell added.
New daily snowfall records were set from Atlantic City and Newark, New Jersey, to New York City; Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Boston; and Bangor and Caribou, Maine on Thursday.
Powerful wind gusts, between 50-80 mph along the upper mid-Atlantic and New England coasts, generated significant blowing and drifting snow, whiteout conditions, widespread power outages and airline delays and cancellations.
Over 5,000 flights were canceled in the Northeast due to heavy snow and strong winds, according to FlightAware. Laguardia Airport has resumed flights after being shut down for around 7 hours on Thursday. After closing on Thursday, John F. Kennedy International Airport reopened for flight activity at 7 a.m. EST Friday.
The Associated Press reported that over 100,000 homes and businesses were without power at the height the storm on Thursday.
Ice chunks were seen floating through streets in coastal Massachusetts, including downtown Boston, as a significant storm surge battered the shoreline and led to numerous water rescues.
AccuWeather’s winter forecast released in early October accurately predicted the coldest air of the season to arrive in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic in January. The outlook called for chillier winter conditions this season to translate to an above-normal snow season, highlighting the corridor from New York City to Boston to stand the best chance of abundant snowfall.
A person is rescued from rising waters in Boston on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Twitter photo/Boston Fire Department)
Water levels in the Boston Harbor reached record high levels on Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Ferry service was suspended due to the severe weather.
At least 10 people died in weather-related accidents, according to the Associated Press. This includes a 13-year-old girl who died due to carbon monoxide poisoning during the storm in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
One person died in Philadelphia when a car slid down a snow-covered hill and crashed into a commuter train, according to the AP. Four deaths were reported on snowy roads in the Carolinas at midweek. A Massachusetts Water Resources Authority employee died after going into cardiac arrest while shoveling snow early Friday, according to Boston 25 News.
Harsh cold has settled over the region in the wake of the snowstorm, threatening to take a toll on cleanup efforts and those who remain without power.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will remain below zero F in the hardest hit areas through Saturday.
Flooding at high tide created a slushy scene outside of homes in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Twitter photo/Duxbury Police Department)
A group of men help a motorist after his vehicle was stuck in the snow near Asbury Park boardwalk during a snowstorm, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Asbury Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
People walk on a small pier as snow covers the sand dunes during a snowstorm that hit the New Jersey Shore, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Ocean Grove, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Men work to free a stranded car during a winter snowstorm in Atlantic City, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A view of the icy floodwaters that swept through downtown Boston on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Twitter photo/Massachusetts State Police)
Rebecca Hollis of New Zealand drags her suitcases in a snowstorm through Times Square on her way to a hotel, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
