Friday, January 30, 2015

Weekly Wrap-Up: Snowstorm Costs NYC $200M; Blizzard Shatters Records in New England

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

January 30,2015; 10:31PM,EST

The Blizzard of 2015 took aim at the Northeast Monday into Tuesday, bringing travel to a halt throughout the region, including major metropolitan areas, such as New York City and Boston.
Ahead of the storm, states of emergency were enacted in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of New York state, as government and law enforcement officials urged citizens to take caution and remain in their homes.
As New York City turned into a ghost town at the height of the storm, the shutdown had a notable financial impact, as an estimated $200 million in economic activity was lost, the Associated Press reported, citing a Moody's Analytics preliminary report. The biggest impact was felt largely among small business and hourly workers, according to the AP.
The robust storm brought record-setting snowfall totals to localized areas of New England, including Worcester, Massachusetts, which received 34.5 inches. Boston, which experienced blizzard conditions for nine hours on Tuesday, received over 2 feet of snow, ranking as the sixth heaviest snowstorm on record for the city. Much of Long Island to southern and eastern parts of New England received 12-24 inches.

The blizzard buried streets and cars in the Boston area Tuesday morning. (Photo/takumamusic)
Less snow fell along the I-95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic from Philadelphia to New York City. Nearly 10 inches fell in Central Park, with 11.4 inches at LaGuardia Airport. Philadelphia received 1-2 inches of snow.
"The storm was more compact than we thought it would get," AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams said. "As a result, the back edge of the heavy snow and strong winds were farther to the east."

Blizzard of 2015 Sets Record, Buries New England With Snow

Top Five Heaviest Overall Snow Totals

Heaviest Snow Totals by State

Over the course of the two-day storm, more than 7,500 flights were canceled in the U.S., with the majority due to the snowstorm, according to FlightStats. To ease travelers' burdens, major airlines waived change fees for those scheduled to fly into the Northeast.
RELATED:
How Did East Coast Blizzard of 2015 Play Out?
PHOTOS: New York, Boston Streets Desolate Amid East Coast Snowstorm
The Mystery Behind the Boston Marathon Finish Line Shoveler

Even better one from my uncle in Worcester, MA! His car is under there! @breakingweather

This remarkable time-lapse video captured several feet of snow building up on one Massachusetts resident's deck over the course of 24 hours.

Flooding and property damage was reported along parts of coastal Massachusetts. Police in Marshfield, Massachusetts, about 30 miles southeast of Boston, reported a major seawall breach on Tuesday morning.

High tide in Marshfield, Mass., caused structural damage to a local home Tuesday morning. (Photo/Marshfield Police Department)
Several AccuWeather.com meteorologists and staff writers contributed to this article.

WeatherFanatics