New York suffers first snowstorm of 2021

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A major meteorological disturbance

• The weather forecast was right. On February 1, 2021, New York City was hit by a major snowstorm. The National Weather Service, the American equivalent of Météo France, noted nearly 39 centimeters of snow in Central Park. North of the Bronx, we recorded up to 48 centimeters of snow.
• The disruption also affects other cities on the US East Coast, from Philadelphia to Boston, with 30 centimeters of snow. New Jersey was not spared either: it recorded the heaviest falls, with 76 cm of snow in the town of Mendham, about sixty kilometers west of New York City.
• According to meteorologists, the storm is not expected to subside until Wednesday, February 3. And more snowfall is expected on Tuesday February 2!

The consequences of the snowstorm

• Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, declared a state of emergency in 44 counties, calling on residents to stay in their homes. The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, also asked New Yorkers to stay at home and, above all, to avoid taking their cars, so as not to clutter the roads.
• The MTA, New York’s transportation authority, has suspended traffic on all overhead portions of its subway lines.
• Air traffic is also affected, with more than 1,300 flights canceled preventively. New York-JFK and Newark and LaGuardia airports have even suspended traffic on Air Trains, the shuttles that connect the terminals. A replacement bus service has been put in place.
• Another consequence of the snowstorm: Manhattan’s Covid-19 vaccine centers are closed, including the center located in the Javits Center, the major convention center in New York.

Photos of the snowstorm in New York