Canada’s east coast was blanketed in snow as a major winter storm sliced up the US east coast, disrupting travel and cutting power to thousands of homes. About 120,000 Americans without electricity Monday afternoon were back online by evening. Outages were concentrated in the mid-Atlantic state of West Virginia and the southeastern states of North and South Carolina, as well as Georgia.
In addition to the 3,000 flights canceled the day before, there were over 1,700 canceled throughout the United States by Monday evening, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. According to the Canadian government website, large parts of the provinces of Quebec and Ontario remain under winter storm warnings. Global News’ chief meteorologist, Anthony Farnell, predicted two feet (60 centimeters) of snow in Toronto. The storm has been described as ‘historical for the city,’ he noted.
As a result of today’s heavy and disruptive snowfall, the city declared a major snow storm, which will aid in the snow removal efforts, Toronto Mayor John Tory tweeted Monday. The rule prevents cars from parking in certain areas while the powder is cleared.
Schools in Quebec and southern Ontario, including the Toronto area, were closed and school buses were not running. After the holiday break, students in both provinces were expected to return to the classroom on Monday. Since Monday was a national holiday in the United States, most schools and businesses were closed. However, many people took advantage of the long weekend to travel. The US National Weather Service (NWS) said earlier that the storm would ‘slowly wind down today’ but that snow would continue to fall through the evening in upper New York and New England.
A tornado spawned in Florida and icy conditions and blustery winds made matters worse in the Carolinas and in the Appalachian Mountains. A 12-foot storm surge was reported in Boston due to strong winds and coastal flooding. Scientists believe climate change could worsen extreme weather events such as snowstorms, typhoons, floods, and heat waves. Moreover, transportation was seriously disrupted, with drivers warned of hazardous road conditions and major travel headaches from Arkansas to Quebec.
State of emergency
The busy interstate highway I-95 was closed in North Carolina. Toronto police, on Twitter, asked drivers to stay home ‘unless it’s absolutely necessary’. They added that despite windshield wipers, heavy rain and gusts cause ice to form. US officials also discouraged driving, and many states prepositioned teams to deal with the emergency, especially in the south, where snow is not as common.
Earlier this month, there was snow chaos in the northeastern United States. As a result of a storm blanketing the northeast, hundreds of motorists were stranded for more than 24 hours on I-95, a major highway leading to Washington.
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