A dangerous winter storm caused significant snowfall, lightning and gales on the East Coast of the United States on Monday.
About a foot of snow was expected to fall in parts of New England, New York state, Ohio and Pennsylvania through Tuesday morning.
Forecasters in Buffalo, New York, reported that the snow was falling rapidly.
“Woof! The (last) measurements at 1 AM were 4.6 inches (11.68 centimeters) in the last hour at Buffalo Airport!” the National Weather Service in Buffalo tweeted overnight. “And add another 4 inches in the last hour until 2 in the morning! The total so far from Sunday night, 10.2 inches (25.9 centimeters).”
Meanwhile, New York City hoped to be spared most, if not all, of the snowfall. The weather service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm alert for the city, including Brooklyn and Queens, on Monday morning.
Forecasters expected wind gusts in the city of about 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour), and about 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers) per hour on Long Island.
Hail and rain were the main threats to much of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, where snowfall turned to rain overnight. NWS experts in Boston expected wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour.
The huge winter storm caused similar conditions in the Southeast on Sunday. Several states recorded several inches of snow, and thunderstorms in Florida included a tornado with 190-kilometer (118-mile) per hour winds. Thirty mobile homes were destroyed and 51 sustained major damage. Three minor injuries were reported.
Wet roads in the south were expected to freeze again on Monday, putting drivers at risk.
Snow plows were deployed along East Coast roads and highways to clear the way for travelers. There were a few crashes in the early morning hours, including a crash involving an ambulance on Interstate 279 in Pittsburgh, according to KDKA-TV. It was not clear if there were any injuries.
