Communities across the Northeast, including Delaware, are working to recover from a devastating winter storm that meteorologists are calling the most powerful in ten years, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity and causing massive travel disruptions.
The historic blizzard deposited more than 24 inches of snow across portions of the region before moving northward Tuesday. Delaware was among several states where residents lost power, along with Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Recovery efforts are underway as roads reopen and public transit systems restore service in major metropolitan areas.
However, weather experts are already tracking another storm system that could bring additional snowfall to the region later this week.
The massive storm created chaos in New York City’s school system, where classes were cancelled Monday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani decided to resume in-person instruction Tuesday, despite snow-covered sidewalks throughout the city.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella opposed the decision to reopen schools, while United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew called the circumstances “a big mess.”
“There’s going to be low attendance of students. You’re going to have low attendance of staff because people don’t know if they can travel, if they can get to schools,” Mulgrew explained.
While Mamdani’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment, Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels posted on social media that officials were “confident in our decision to reopen.”
Philadelphia implemented remote learning for both Monday and Tuesday. School districts across Long Island and other New York suburban areas announced continued closures for Tuesday.
The National Weather Service is monitoring another storm system that could deliver more snow to the area before week’s end.
Although the approaching storm isn’t expected to match Monday’s intensity, even modest additional snowfall could complicate ongoing cleanup efforts, according to Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
“Any additional snow at this point is probably not going to be welcome,” Pereira stated.
Weather officials classified Monday’s storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter off the Northeast coast.” This phenomenon occurs when atmospheric pressure drops rapidly within 24 hours, typically happening during fall and winter months when Arctic air masses collide with warmer temperatures.
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported more than 2,000 domestic flight cancellations Tuesday, with airports in New York, New Jersey, and Boston experiencing the majority of disruptions.
Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport suspended operations Monday after receiving nearly 38 inches of snowfall, surpassing a record established in 1978.
Central Park in Manhattan measured 19 inches of snow accumulation. Warwick, Rhode Island, saw more than three feet of snow, leading the nation in total accumulation. Nantucket recorded the highest wind speeds at 83 mph, with hurricane-strength gusts battering Cape Cod.
Emergency declarations were issued by New York, Philadelphia, and other municipalities, as well as multiple states.
For the first time in over 150 years, The Boston Globe suspended printing its daily edition because severe weather conditions prevented staff from safely reaching the printing facility.
In the New York metropolitan area, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported Monday evening that subway operations had largely resumed following earlier delays, except in Staten Island, where rail service remained halted.
Limited commuter rail service to northern and eastern suburbs was scheduled to restart before Tuesday’s morning rush hour, according to MTA officials.
Brooklyn resident Christa Prince joined two others Monday afternoon, using shovels and an electric snow blower to clear pathways.
“We’re just making a path for this car,” Prince explained. “It’s not our car but you know, we’re just doing our neighbor a kind deed.”
