Northeast Cities, States Issue Travel Bans as Storm Bears Down
A nor’easter blizzard of historic proportions barreling up the U.S. East Coast prompted authorities to shut highways, transit systems, schools, Broadway shows and sporting events in a swath from New Jersey through New England.
In New York, as of 11 p.m. EST tonight (Monday), tractor-trailers are prohibited from traveling on main state roads south of New York State Thruway exit 17. A travel ban on all vehicles will be imposed on all roads in 13 counties from Ulster and Sullivan on the north to New York City and Long Island on the south.
New York City banned all non-emergency vehicles from the road as of 11 p.m. The entire state of Connecticut is under a travel ban as of 9 p.m. EST, and all of Massachusetts is under a similar ban as of midnight.
National Weather Service predictions that New York residents could expect more than 2 feet of snow, with Boston and points north experiencing 36 inches, sent commuters by the thousands scurrying into packed trains departing from Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal. Ninety miles to the south, Philadelphians may expect to dig out from under 8 inches, forecasters said.
Air carriers canceled thousands of flights through Tuesday, and commuter rail service in and out of New York City will close tonight (Monday). Governors and mayors warned people to stay inside and prepare for the worst, as the winter storm began to bear down on millions of East Coast residents Monday afternoon.
FedEx released a service alert that said, "Although contingency plans are in place, some service delays and disruptions can be anticipated for inbound and outbound shipments in NY."
UPS issued a service update in which it said, "We will work to ensure the safety of our employees while minimizing effects on service, and we will move shipments to their final destinations as quickly as possible as conditions permit."
“This is not a storm to take lightly,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ordered the state’s commuter rail lines, buses and subways shut down at 11 p.m. “Mother Nature has decided once again to come visit us in an extreme way.”
Early traces of the storm, which made Manhattan’s streetscape resemble a shaken snow-bubble by mid-afternoon, forced all Broadway theaters to go dark, and canceled professional basketball games scheduled by the Knicks in Madison Square Garden and the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Forecasters expected it to intensify toward midnight.
“Around midnight through about noon tomorrow is probably the worst,” said Adrienne Leptich, a weather service meteorologist in Upton, New York.
By 4:30 p.m. EST, 2,774 flights had been scrubbed around the U.S., with 719 at LaGuardia Airport, according to FlightAware, a Houston-based airline tracking company. In addition, 3,723 flights have been scrubbed for Jan. 27.
Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared states of emergency. Cuomo urged residents to leave work early and stay home. New York City buses will be garaged and subway service will be curtailed starting at about 7 p.m., officials said.
New Jersey Transit intended to stop rail service at 8 p.m. and has no plans to resume before Thursday, the agency said on Twitter. The timing of the resumption depends on the condition of rails and equipment.
The lengthy shutdown was prompted by the storm’s expected duration of more than 24 hours, combined with the 12 hours required to restore the trains to service, said Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman for the transit agency. The railroad must inspect its 957 pieces of rolling stock and 593 miles of track, she said.
The blizzard warnings extended from New Jersey north to Maine in the U.S., up through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Newfoundland in Canada.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy declared a statewide travel ban starting at 9 p.m. and he urged people to store three days of food and water for themselves and their pets on hand before the storm starts, and
Officials at Hartford’s Bradley International Airport said they may be forced to close the facility Tuesday if forecasts prove accurate, said Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority.
In Boston, the worst of the storm was forecast to strike Monday night, said Alan Dunham, a weather service meteorologist in Taunton, Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will close at midnight and remain shut Tuesday. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency and issued a state-wide travel ban for Tuesday.
