A state-by-state look at the Northeast blizzard
A look at effects in states and provinces in the path of the massive storm that swept across the Northeast U.S. and southern Canada:
CONNECTICUT
The storm dumped at least 2 feet of snow throughout Connecticut, paralyzing much of the state. The governor ordered all roads closed Saturday until further notice, and even emergency responders were stuck on highways.
Snowfall totals were even higher in some towns. As of Saturday morning, 34 inches of snow were reported in New Haven, 28 inches in Manchester and 20 inches in Danbury. The National Guard was brought in to help clear snow in New Haven.
The state’s largest utility, Connecticut Light & Power, reported power failures affecting 38,000 homes and businesses.
A woman in her 80s was killed Friday night in Prospect by a hit-and-run driver as she was clearing snow, Gov. Dannel Malloy said.
MAINE
Portland set a record snowfall reading of 31.9 inches, the National Weather Service said, and blowing snow reduced visibility on the coast.
Vehicles, including state police cruisers, were stuck in the deep snow, state police said, warning that stranded drivers should expect long waits for tow trucks. About 12,000 homes and businesses lost power.
Saturday’s National Toboggan Championships races were postponed for a day.
MASSACHUSETTS
Nearly 22 inches of snow fell in Boston and up to 3 feet was expected, the weather service said, threatening the city’s 2003 record of 27.6 inches.
Public transit in the city was suspended, and Logan Airport was closed and expected to reopen Saturday night.
More than 400,000 customers lost power in the state, utilities reported. Some were likely to be without power for several days, a spokesman for utility NStar said, adding that the storm caused significant damage, and many areas were too dangerous Saturday to send in crews.
National Guard troops were helping evacuate coastal areas where flooding was feared as high tide approached.
Only 30 stranded drivers were rescued overnight, and state police credited a travel ban, the state’s first since the Blizzard of `78, a ferocious storm that dropped 27 inches of snow, packed hurricane-force winds and claimed dozens of lives.
The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth shut down after losing off-site power. There’s no threat to public safety, authorities said.
In heavily Catholic Boston, the archdiocese urged parishioners to be prudent and reminded them that, under church law, the requirement to attend Sunday Mass “does not apply when there is grave difficulty in fulfilling this obligation.”
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Saturday morning’s high tide sent waves crashing into closed roads along the seacoast, local police said, but there were no reports of significant damage.
Both Seabrook and East Hampstead saw 26 inches of snow. In Concord, plow driver Jim Pierce said road conditions were awful, and while the fluffy consistency of the snow made it relatively easy to push around, the sheer volume made it a challenge.
Drivers appeared to be heeding the governor’s warning to stay off the roads until at least midafternoon.
NEW JERSEY
The state was spared the worst of the storm, and the highest snowfalls were spread across northern New Jersey, where River Vale got 15 inches, the National Weather Service reported.
NEW YORK
Police had to use snowmobiles to reach ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, some snowplow trucks and passenger vehicles stranded overnight on the Long Island Expressway. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power on Long Island, which saw as much as 2½ feet of snow.
About a foot of snow fell New York City, which was “in great shape,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. Plows were out overnight and he said all streets would be cleared by the end of the day. He also promised to send equipment and manpower to harder-hit areas like Long Island and Connecticut if need be.
Airports reopened Saturday, but Amtrak said trains between New York and Boston would be suspended Saturday.
Two deaths in the state were blamed on the storm. A 23-year-old man plowing his driveway with a farm tractor went off the edge of the road and was killed in Columbia County, police said. A 74-year-old was fatally struck by a car in Poughkeepsie; the driver said she lost control in the snowy conditions, police said.
Upstate, 10-12 inches of snow fell in the Hudson Valley and Adirondacks, 8 inches at Buffalo and a foot in Rochester.
ONTARIO
At least 350 traffic collisions were reported in Toronto, and at least three people died in southern Ontario.
Many flights were canceled in Toronto, some of them because destination airports in the United States were closed by the snow.
An 80-year-old woman in Hamilton collapsed while shoveling her driveway, and two men were killed in car crashes, one of them in a multi-vehicle collision.
PENNSYLVANIA
Parts of the state saw half a foot of snow, including in northeastern Pennsylvania, but the state escaped the brunt of the storm. Snow-covered roads made for treacherous driving overnight, with numerous accidents reported, but no major crashes or road closures.
RHODE ISLAND
Residents were urged to stay off the roads to allow crews to clear up to 2 feet of snow. About 180,000 homes and businesses lost power, and utilities warned it could be out for days. Most people appeared to heed the warnings in Providence, where typically busy streets were empty Saturday morning as the wind blew snow into drifts that buried cars and parking lots.
No accidents or injuries were reported on state highways, although dozens of cars got stuck in the snow, state police said.
T.F. Green Airport remained closed Saturday morning and all departing flights for the day were canceled.
VERMONT
Wind, not snow or tides, was the issue in Vermont. Ferry service between Charlotte, Vt., and Essex, N.Y., was closed Saturday because of the gusts. Parts of the state saw 10 inches of snow.