A winter storm bringing a mix of snow and ice swept across the north-eastern United States early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday travel and forcing emergency declarations in several states.
Air travel was badly affected. By mid-morning, more than 14,400 domestic flights had been cancelled or delayed, according to the tracking service FlightAware. Most disruptions were centred on the New York area, including John F Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports.
A further 2,100 international flights scheduled to depart from or arrive in the US on Saturday were also cancelled.
Road travel was equally hazardous. Residents across much of the north-east were advised to stay off the roads because of icy and dangerous conditions. States of emergency were declared in both New York and New Jersey.
“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution throughout the duration of this storm,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said.
Snowfall totals were significant in several areas. Between 6 and 10 inches (15 to 25 centimetres) of snow fell from Syracuse in central New York to Long Island, as well as parts of Connecticut, according to the National Weather Service.
New York City received between 2 and 4 inches overnight, with 4.3 inches recorded in Central Park — the heaviest snowfall there since 2022.
“The good news is that the heaviest snow is done,” said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center near Washington DC. He added that only light flurries were expected to continue before tapering off later in the day.
Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories were issued across most of Pennsylvania and large parts of Massachusetts.
Authorities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania also imposed restrictions on commercial vehicles along several major routes, including parts of the interstate highway network.
“This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel,” said New Jersey’s acting governor, Tahesha Way. “We are urging travellers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to roads.”
