Nor'easter Pummels Northeast With Heavy Snow; Many Lose Power

New Englanders awoke Thursday to thigh-deep snow in several areas and widespread power outages after a powerful nor'easter, the second in a matter of days, barreled up the East Coast. More than two feet of snow fell in some areas, said the National Weather Service, which continued its winter storm warning into Thursday morning.

Many New England schools and businesses were closed Thursday, and airlines remained crippled by the storm. Stranded travelers turned the iconic Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan into a free overnight hotel.

The numbers from the storm are astounding:

• 28 inches of snow in Warren, Connecticut, and 26 inches of snow in Adams, Massachusetts;
• 800,000 people in New England without power, including some still in the dark from last week's nor'easter, and 300,000 in Massachusetts;
• Thousands of flights canceled, and more misery on the ground with commuter rail, light rail and bus lines either not operating or crawling in the snow pack.

Here's more: Northern New Jersey got about two feet of snow, and Burrillville, Rhode Island, got 15 inches. Sloatsburg, New York, got bout 26 inches, and snowfall amounts varied in the New York City area, but were significantly lower than other areas of the region. Major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor saw much less. Philadelphia International Airport recorded about 6 inches, while New York City's Central Park saw less than 3 inches.

The nor'easter knocked out power to about 247,000 customers in New Jersey and 125,000 in Connecticut. In New Hampshire, 50,000 lost power.

On Wednesday as the storm brewed, flashes of lightning and booming thunder were reported from the Philadelphia area to New York City as the nor'easter pummeled the East Coast. About 100,000 New Englanders still haven't had their power restored after last Friday's storm.

In Manchester, New Jersey, a middle school teacher was struck by lightning in the rare "thundersnow" event, but is expected to survive.

The eighth-grade teacher was standing outside Manchester Township Middle School about 2:30 p.m. when the umbrella she was holding was struck, Manchester Township Capt. Todd Malland told Patch. The 33-year-old woman from Toms River was standing on the sidewalk with other staff members when the lightning strike happened and was escorted into the nurse's office by two other teachers.

Read More: Teacher Struck By Lightning Amid Thundersnow

The storm intensified as it moved up the coast, with snowfall rates of up to 3 inches an hour. The Wednesday evening commute was especially treacherous in areas affected by the storm, and people were advised to stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary.

Tractor-trailers were ordered off the roads in two states. The big rigs were banned on the New York State Thruway from the Syracuse area to New York City. Pennsylvania banned all commercial vehicles from interstates 380 and 84, while empty straight trucks, double trailers and other types of commercial carriers have been ordered off several other major interstates including 78, 81 and 80. Officials have also reduced speeds to 45 mph.

In Massachusetts, minor coastal flooding is expected in communities still recovering from Friday's nor'easter, while some areas could get more than a foot of snow. Gov. Charlie Baker said tides aren't expected to be as high as they were at the height of last week's storm.

Some areas of the storm-battered Northeast have not yet recovered from the first nor’easter, where winds gusting up to 93 miles per hour sent massive waves to the shore from southern New England to as far south as Puerto Rico and South America. The storm snapped utility poles, leaving thousands in the dark. By Wednesday morning, power had still not been restored to more than 100,000 customers in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

"I don't think I'm ready for this to happen again," Caprice Dantzler, 32, told The Associated Press as she walked through Philadelphia's snowy, rainy Rittenhouse Square. She said many trees that crashed into cars and homes and blocked streets during the last storm have yet to be removed.

In Toms River, New Jersey, Chris Martin was dreading his commute to work at an information technology firm in Philadelphia.

"I'm not looking forward to another round of this, but it is what it is," he told The AP. "All in all, it hasn't been a terrible winter."

This storm is not expected to bring the degree of coastal flooding seen with the weekend nor’easter — good news for some New England and New Jersey communities still reeling from the powerful storm’s effects. Still, the National Weather Service said, wind speeds could whip to 60 mph at Cape Cod and 45 mph along the Jersey shore.

"The big problem is that the storm this week is coming so soon after the destructive storm from last Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "It will disrupt cleanup and restoration operations and is likely to cause a new but less extreme round of travel delays, power outages and damage from falling trees."

Boaters were advised to keep small craft in port, as "seas are likely to again become rough enough to toss around large vessels offshore," Sosnowski said.

Airlines have canceled multiple flights, and more are expected as the storm moves in. Amtrak canceled some train service Wednesday, and commuter trains in Philadelphia are operating on a weekend schedule. Amtrak said more service changes are likely for travelers.

This is a developing story. Stay on Patch and refresh your browser for the latest.

See Also

New Jersey Nor'easter: The Latest

New York Nor'easter: The Latest

Connecticut Nor'easter: The Latest

Pennsylvania Nor'easter: The Latest

Massachusetts Nor'easter: The Latest

The Associated Press and Patch's Karen Wall in New Jersey contributed to this report.

Vehicles navigate the road conditions on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn during a snowstorm, March 7, 2018 in New York City. Large portions of the East Coast are facing a second nor'easter in less than a week. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)