Winter Storm Stella shut down major cities along the East Coast on Tuesday, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in airports across the nation and prompting warnings from officials urging residents to stay off the roads.
At least two people died in the Midwest before Stella moved into the Northeast, where up to 2 feet of snow fell in some areas. A 16-year-old was killed in New Hampshire Tuesday morning after crashing on a snowy roadway. In Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a Department of Public Works employee died after the truck he was driving was struck by a plow train.
Officials in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia declared states of emergency.
More than 6,000 U.S. flights scheduled for Tuesday were canceled because of the storm, according to FlightAware.com, while more than 3,000 flights have been delayed. This has left thousands stranded at airports across the nation. Airlines expect to resume operations Wednesday morning and will likely be fully operational by Thursday.
Public schools in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and elsewhere were closed Tuesday and the above-ground subway service in New York was suspended. Amtrak canceled and modified service all along the Northeast Corridor. In New Jersey, all bus services have been suspended while the rail service was scheduled to run on a weekend schedule, reports CNBC.
A worker clears snow from a sidewalk during Winter Storm Stella in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The storm has knocked out power to approximately 210,000 customers in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including 50,000 in Virginia, the AP reports.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner told CBS 58 that a 64-year-old man collapsed and died while shoveling snow in South Milwaukee on Monday. A 76-year-old man on the north side of the city also collapsed and died Monday while removing snow.
A New Hampshire police dispatcher’s teenage daughter was killed Tuesday morning in a car accident in Gilford, New Hampshire. The 16-year-old was driving around 7 a.m. when she lost control in the snow and crashed into a tree, according to CBS Boston.
Stella will continue to intensify Tuesday, and bring heavy snow from parts of the mid-Atlantic into New England with snowfall rates of 1-4 inches of snow per hour possible, said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam. Gusts up to 60 mph are possible in some areas.
"The combination of heavy snow and gusty wind may create blizzard conditions in some spots. Snow may mix with and change to rain near the coast, including the I-95 corridor," Lam said.
(FORECAST: Nor'easter to Follow Midwest Snow)
New York
Top Snow Total: 30 inches, DamascusGov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Tuesday for all of New York's 62 counties, including New York City. He also directed non-essential state employees to stay home from work, reports the AP.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman says 1,124 flights are canceled at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday and about 200 passengers are stranded at Kennedy airport, where 757 flights are canceled.
Newark Liberty International Airport has more than 1,000 flights canceled.
Many airlines are allowing passengers to make a one-time change to their flights without a fee in many of its affected markets, including Newark, LaGuardia and JFK.
Limited Metro-North resumed at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Long Island Rail Road is running normally. PATH and Amtrak are on modified schedules.
The Staten Island Ferry is running about every half-hour, while East River Ferry service is suspended until Wednesday.
Two homes under construction near the beach in the Far Rockaway section of Queens collapsed during the storm. No injuries were reported, the fire department told the AP.
Meanwhile, theaters on Broadway will remain open Tuesday night, the AP reports.
New York City public schools will re-open Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference on Tuesday.
A
Jersey City Fire Department vehicle rolls by the entrance to the
Holland Tunnel during a snowstorm, Tuesday, March 14, 2017, in Jersey
City.
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A
Jersey City Fire Department vehicle rolls by the entrance to the
Holland Tunnel during a snowstorm, Tuesday, March 14, 2017, in Jersey
City.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
New Jersey
Top Snow Total: 19 inches, VernonGov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Monday ahead of the storm, nj.com reports.
Most schools were closed on Tuesday, while N.J. Transit ran on a weekend schedule. All bus service has been suspended, the New York Times reports.
Parts of Atlantic City and other towns in southern New Jersey are experiencing tidal flooding. The tide reached 7.8 feet in Atlantic City Tuesday morning, just shy of the 8-foot threshold that can lead to major flooding. Route 322 in West Atlantic City was shut down, as were some smaller streets around the area, the AP reports.
Atlantic City Electric and PSE&G were reporting more than 40,000 power outages as of 11 a.m. Tuesday morning.
A couple of wind gusts were clocked at 62 mph on the Jersey Shore, according to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. Snow, ice and winds have brought numerous branches down in several locations, including Moorestown and Cooperstown.
Washington, D.C. Metro Area
During a news conference Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said streets had been pre-treated, and more than 200 were ready.Officials said that all MetroAccess paratransit services for customers with disabilities were suspended through Tuesday. It's not known when service will resume.
Social media users have also been posting photos of the area's cherry blossoms encased in ice. Officials say the winter storm can endanger the cherry blossom festival, one of the capital's most anticipated traditions. Tuesday was supposed to be the beginning of the peak blooming period for the cherry blossoms in Washington.
A state of emergency was also declared in Virginia. Gov. Terry McAuliffe said the declaration will allow state agencies to assist local governments as they prepare and respond to the storm, WUSA9 reports.
(MORE: What to Know About Stella)
Pennsylvania
Top Snow Total: 27 inches, WaymartPennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed a proclamation of disaster Monday and announced that speeds will be restricted on interstates and some large commercial vehicular travel.
People are reportedly trapped inside a home in Luzerne County near Glen Lyon after a roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow. No other details are available.
On Tuesday, a 23-month-old child in need of a heart transplant was escorted on an 80-mile trip from East Stroudsburg to Danville by state snowplows and troopers through the storm, the governor said.
A snow emergency was declared in Philadelphia, and the Streets Department announced trash and recycling collection for Tuesday had been canceled. The declaration calls for all parked cars to be moved off snow emergency routes for plowing.
Several avalanches have been reported, including one that shut down Route 92 in Wyoming County, according to emergency management.
Officials urged residents to postpone travel during the storm.
Massachusetts
Top Snow Total: 15 inches, MontereyGov. Charlie Baker encouraged motorists to stay off the roads and to take public transit only if absolutely necessary. The fast snowfall rates, he warned, will "create hazardous driving conditions across the Commonwealth."
A vehicle kicks up snow as it rolls toward the Holland Tunnel during a snowstorm, Tuesday, March 14, 2017, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
In Longmeadow, a Department of Public Works employee died after the truck he was driving was struck by an Amtrak plow train, 22News reported. Longmeadow Town Manager Stephen Crane told 22News the employee was clearing the road leading up to the tracks when the crash occurred.
Connecticut
Top Snow Total: 17.2 inches, WiltonGov. Dannel P. Malloy has lifted a statewide travel ban in the state, according to CBS New York. Malloy said the travel ban, which took effect at 5 a.m. Tuesday, was no longer in place as of 5:30 p.m. He said state agencies will be open for business Wednesday, crediting the travel ban with helping crews remove snow on state roads.
The governor said there were 38 accidents during the road travel ban, including
Meanwhile, about 1,700 customers are without power as of 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, reports the AP.
Virginia
Top Snow Total: 8.1 inches, WinchesterVirginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told the AP troopers have responded to at least 150 crashes and disabled vehicles statewide since midnight. She says many of them were in northern Virginia. She says no serious injuries were reported.
Dominion Power is reporting more than 41,000 customers without power around the state, including more than 36,000 in the Richmond area.
Rhode Island
Top Snow Total: 12 inches, BurrillvilleAbout 8,500 National Grid customers are without power Tuesday afternoon.
School districts across the state canceled classes Tuesday and state offices were closed, reports the AP.
No one was hurt when high winds knocked over a state-owned wind turbine at a Narragansett beach.
Maryland
Top Snow Total: 10 inches, Frederick and ThurmontMaryland State Police said troopers responded to 101 crashes, none serious.
As of 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, more than 20,000 homes are without power.
Midwest
Before targeting the East, Stella wreaked havoc in the Midwest, killing two and causing hundreds of wrecks.Nearly 70 vehicles were involved in collisions on Interstate 41 in Washington County Monday, WISN.com reports. There were five or six crashes in the southbound lanes, one of which involved 46 cars. Minor injuries were reported.
Wisconsin officials also said 12 cars and five tractor-trailers were involved in a pileup Monday that occurred in the northbound lanes of I-43, WBAY.com reported. Three people had minor injuries, but no deaths were reported. The interstate was shut down between Highways 42 and 23 after the crash.
In Minnesota, more than 400 crashes were reported Sunday, one of which was a pileup that shut down Interstate 694 in Fridley.
In Iowa, snow-covered highways caused dozens of accidents in multiple counties, but no deaths were reported, according to the Associated Press.
More than 1.1 million Michigan DTE Energy customers lost power at the height of the storm.
MORE: Photos of Winter Storm Stella
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