Boston: Blinding snow whipped up by powerful winds pummelled the eastern US, as one of the strongest winter storms in years triggered transport chaos and power outages across a region of some 70 million people. Major cities such as New York and Boston bore the brunt of the blizzard, which the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed had intensified into a “bomb cyclone” - characterised by the explosive power of rapid drops in atmospheric pressure.
The heaviest-hit parts of New York and Massachusetts received 61cm of snow by early evening, with more than 95,000 homes in Massachusetts reported power outages. Snowfall in Boston equalled the one-day record of 23. 6 inches set in 2003, the NWS said, while the town of Sharon, 29 km to the south, had recorded the highest snowfall on Saturday with more than 30 inches.
Cold weather stretched as far south as Florida, where the NWS warned of “scattered to isolated falling iguanas from trees” as plunging temperatures temporarily paralysed the large lizards. People in towns and cities across the eastern seaboard were urged to avoid all unnecessary travel for a second night of whiteout conditions, with additional snowfall expected to be heaviest across New England. In Long Island, officials said a woman had been found dead in her car by a snowplow operator. In New York City, Central Park was covered in 7. 5 inches of snow and regional train lines were shut down. New York, New Jersey plus Virginia, Maryland and Delaware declared emergencies for all or part of the states. In Boston, where a snow emergency was also declared, mayor Michelle Wu warned residents “to stay off the roads if you can”.
