Thousands of flights hit as US storm snarls Thanksgiving travel
28 Nov 2014 12:12 AM GMT
New York City saw less than a half-inch of snow. But in the suburbs to the north and west, as much as 10 inches of snow had fallen by Wednesday night.
By midday, more than 1,000 flights were grounded across the east coast and some 5,000 flights were delayed. With many people heeding calls to get out of town early, security lines started backing up well before the worst weather had descended on the region.
On Twitter, it did not take long for frustrated commuters to post enough photos to form a collage of airport misery.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a winter storm watch for an area where more than 20 million people live in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, leading thousands of families to reconsider their travel plans to avoid being stuck on snarled roadways or stranded at congested airports.
Many of the weather agency’s advisories expired on Wednesday, as the storm moved north and tapered off. About 10.7 million people from lower New York State up through New England, remained under the Weather Service’s watch area late on Wednesday, said Chris Vaccaro, a spokesman for the agency. (A sliver of Montana was also under a watch, he added.) The main focus for many people traveling for Thanksgiving was where the line dividing rain and snow fell.
In New York City, rain that began early Wednesday had changed to sleet by midmorning, then snow that mostly melted away.
Four-tenths of an inch of snow was measured at La Guardia Airport, the highest accumulation for the city and much less than the worst-case situation outlined earlier in the week.
These kinds of storms, which develop off the coast, are often difficult to forecast because a drop in temperatures by even a few degrees more than expected can significantly affect the snow totals.
Consolidated Edison, in an alert to customers, warned that the weight of the snow could cause tree limbs to break and bring down power lines, leading to power failures.
The company said it would have extra crews available to repair any damage. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey deployed extra workers for the day.
By midday, more than 1,000 flights were grounded across the east coast and some 5,000 flights were delayed. With many people heeding calls to get out of town early, security lines started backing up well before the worst weather had descended on the region.
On Twitter, it did not take long for frustrated commuters to post enough photos to form a collage of airport misery.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a winter storm watch for an area where more than 20 million people live in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, leading thousands of families to reconsider their travel plans to avoid being stuck on snarled roadways or stranded at congested airports.
Many of the weather agency’s advisories expired on Wednesday, as the storm moved north and tapered off. About 10.7 million people from lower New York State up through New England, remained under the Weather Service’s watch area late on Wednesday, said Chris Vaccaro, a spokesman for the agency. (A sliver of Montana was also under a watch, he added.) The main focus for many people traveling for Thanksgiving was where the line dividing rain and snow fell.
In New York City, rain that began early Wednesday had changed to sleet by midmorning, then snow that mostly melted away.
Four-tenths of an inch of snow was measured at La Guardia Airport, the highest accumulation for the city and much less than the worst-case situation outlined earlier in the week.
These kinds of storms, which develop off the coast, are often difficult to forecast because a drop in temperatures by even a few degrees more than expected can significantly affect the snow totals.
Consolidated Edison, in an alert to customers, warned that the weight of the snow could cause tree limbs to break and bring down power lines, leading to power failures.
The company said it would have extra crews available to repair any damage. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey deployed extra workers for the day.
Next Story
