NEW YORK (AP) — A dangerous winter storm brought heavy snow, severe thunderstorms and gusty winds to the northeast United States on Holiday Monday.
The storm system dropped a foot (30 centimeters) or more of snow in parts of New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania from Sunday evening to Monday morning after hitting parts of the southeast on Sunday.
“We had a very strong low pressure area that kind of moved up the coast, with pretty heavy snowfall accumulations from Tennessee, North Carolina, to the northeast,” said meteorologist Mark Chenard at the College Park Weather Service headquarters. . , Maryland.
READ MORE: Snow, ice swept across the south with a strong winter storm
Forecasters in Buffalo, New York, said nearly 18 inches (45 centimeters) of snow had fallen by 1 p.m. Monday. The city has advised people not to travel unnecessarily this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, while some nearby cities have implemented travel bans.
“WOW! (Last) snow measurements at 1:00 a.m. were 4.6 inches in the last hour at Buffalo Airport!” The Buffalo National Weather Service tweeted overnight, “And add another 4 inches for the last hour ending at 2am! Total 10.2 inches of sun since late evening.”
Weather service meteorologist Alexa Maines said 15 inches (38 centimeters) or more of snow was recorded in Cleveland, Ohio, and 25 inches (63 centimeters) in parts of Ashtabula County in the northeast corner of the state.
Power outages affected tens of thousands of customers in the northeast, with hundreds of flights cancelled. Many vaccination and testing sites for COVID-19 have been closed.
Less than an inch of snow fell in New York, which was washed away by rain overnight. The weather service said that intermittent rain and snowfall could continue until Monday evening.
Forecasters said wind gusts could hit around 45 mph (72 km/h) in New York and around 60 mph (97 km/h) in Long Island.
Sleet and rain have been major threats to much of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Periods of snowfall turned into showers during the night. NWS meteorologists in Boston said wind gusts could reach 70 mph (113 km/h).
READ MORE: Winter storm covers southern regions with snow and ice
Howling winds spread the fire, which destroyed a motel and two other properties in coastal Salisbury, Massachusetts, early Monday morning.
On Sunday, the storm brought similar conditions to the southeast, where thousands were still without power on Monday.
Several states reported heavy snowfall and two people died Sunday in North Carolina when their car ran off the road. The roof of a dormitory at Brevard College partially collapsed and officials said it broke under the weight of the snow. There were no injuries.
Severe thunderstorms in Florida unleashed 118 mph (190 km/h) tornadoes, destroying 30 mobile homes and severely damaging 51 others. Three minor injuries were reported.
Wet roads in the south were expected to freeze again on Monday, leaving motorists icy.
The plows were scattered along the roads and highways of the East Coast, clearing the way for travelers. Several accidents were reported early in the morning, including an ambulance crash on Interstate 279 in Pittsburgh, according to KDKA-TV. It is not known if anyone was hurt.
Associated Press contributor Denise Lavoie contributed material from Richmond, Virginia.
