Thousands of flights have been delayed and canceled Thursday as snow began to pile up in a blizzard that is expected to stretch from the Midwest across the Northeast.
By 6 pm EST Thursday, nearly 6,000 flights had been have been delayed, according to FlightAware.com, and a quarter of the flights out of Chicago’s O’Hare International, Newark’s Liberty International, New York City’s LaGuardia and Dulles Airport in Virginia were canceled.
Continue ReadingChicago’s Midway Airport saw more than half of its departing flights canceled, while more than 40 percent of flights out of Baltimore-Washington International have been delayed, as were 20 percent of flights out of Reagan National Airport.
Snow began falling at 1:30 a.m. in Boston, the first East Coast city to be hit by the storm that is expected stretch from New England to Chicago and as far south as Nashville. Boston could receive up to 18 inches of snow, according to forecasts, while New York City is projected to receive about 8 inches. The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for Long Island, Cape Cod and Massachusetts’ South Shore.
Detroit and Chicago have already been hit by snow and are expected to face bitter cold temperatures in the next several days with lows dropping below zero.
The D.C. region is expected to face high winds and cold temperatures but should receive less than 5 inches of snow.
Amtrak has activated its weather command center in Wilmington, Del., and has mobilized additional maintenance staff and placed the independent contractors who handle tree-trimming for the railroad on standby. Passengers with plans for Thursday and Friday are encouraged to make any reservation changes in advance.
With his last act in office after 20 years, Boston Mayor Tom Menino preemptively declared a snow emergency and canceled school for Friday.
“What a New Year’s gift, to receive one last snowstorm as mayor,” Menino said Wednesday, according to NBC News.
In New York, new Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will do its best to keep mass transit running.
Snowstorms have tripped up New York mayors in the past. His predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, took heat for a 2010 storm that left some subway lines closed for days. In 1969, a surprise snowstorm caught Mayor John Lindsay’s administration by surprise, and the mayor was booed as he toured recovery efforts.
“If we see a situation worsening, we’re going to take very aggressive action,” de Blasio told reporters earlier this week, according to Reuters. “So it’s very much on our screens.”
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