Brace for Winter Storm: Thousands Without Power, Flight Delays, Hazardous Road Conditions

Residents in the Northeast are bracing for a major winter storm that has caused tens of thousands of people to lose power throughout the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.^[0] A Winter Storm Warning was released by the National Weather Service until 8 a.m.^[1] Wednesday morning it was^[1] At 7^[2] ET, nearly 1,150 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.^[2] In excess of 4,700 flights were behind schedule.^[2]

Snow is expected to reach up to 10 inches in parts of New York, New England, and Pennsylvania, with winds gusting up to 45 mph.^[3] There is also a chance of coastal flooding in the region. Hundreds of flights were cancelled Tuesday, with the heaviest snowfall most likely hitting from New York to Maine.^[2]

On Monday night, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced a state of emergency, telling people to stay at home and not take any unnecessary trips due to the dangerous roads.^[4] Some towns in the Capital Region have issued a snow emergency.^[4] As of 4 p.m., almost 30,000 Green Mountain Power customers were without power.^[5]

The wet, heavy snow may cause new outages, even as progress is made in restoring power. Burke pointed out that snow with a high water content, like that produced during these storms, can stick to trees and powerlines much like cement. This weight can eventually cause additional outages, even as the restoration process moves forward.

Drivers are being asked to take extra caution until roads are fully cleared, citing slushy road conditions that have already led to collisions. The Vermont Agency of Transportation has warned drivers that the ongoing winter storm will cause roads to be covered in snow and slush.

Residents should check the latest power outages in the region on the National Grid and Central Hudson outage maps.^[0] While the snow may tempt some Vermonters toward the ski slopes, the National Weather Service warned drivers to take extra caution until roads are fully cleared.

0. “Power outages in the Capital Region top 100K amid blizzard” NEWS10 ABC, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.news10.com/news/local-news/about-80k-across-the-capital-region-without-power/

1. “» Snowstorm leaves thousands in the Capital Region without power Tuesday” The Daily Gazette, 14 Mar. 2023, https://dailygazette.com/2023/03/14/snowstorm-leaves-thousands-in-the-capital-region-without-power-tuesday/

2. “More than 1,100 flights canceled as winter storm moves into Northeast” CNN, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/flight-cancellations-delays-winter-storm/index.html

3. “Wednesday weather forecast: Winter storm in New York, New England” USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2023/03/15/wednesday-weather-forecast-winter-storm-new-york-new-england/11473008002/

4. “Much of Capital Region shuts down due to snow” WNYT NewsChannel 13, 14 Mar. 2023, https://wnyt.com/top-stories/much-of-capital-region-shuts-down-due-to-snow/

5. “Winter storm sweeps through Vermont, causing power outages, road closures and collisions” VTDigger, 14 Mar. 2023, https://vtdigger.org/2023/03/14/winter-storm-sweeps-through-vermont-causing-power-outages-road-closures-and-collisions/