States of emergency were declared in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and parts of other states, where road crews were out in force Thursday. Underground stations usually stay open during major snowstorms.
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“We were fully staffed and one of our cross-trained people in the office went back there and helped for a little while”, he said.
“Everybody was talking about the weekend”, he said, and assumed Wednesday’s weather would just breeze through.
Treated roads are clear Thursday morning, but some elevated roads, ramps and side streets are icy with drivers inching along.
Arlington County officials said the region “underestimated” the storm and it was a “scary and frustrating night” for residents.
Washington and Virginia got a unsafe preview Wednesday and Thursday, when cars slid off course and police untangled 767 accidents and tended to 392 stalled motorist calls.
But it still fell short of the calamitous “Knickerbocker Storm” of 1922, which dumped 28 inches and killed almost 100 people when the roof of a theatre by that name collapsed under the weight of snow, according to CNN.
With more winter weather approaching, people throughout the region readied themselves for blocked roads, power outages and canceled flights.
“That will create blizzard conditions, as well as coastal storm surge, erosion, and flooding”, Ward said.
Washington looks like the bull’s-eye of the blizzard, and New York City is just inside the slow-moving storm’s sharp northern edge, which means it is likely to see heavy accumulations, Uccellini said.
“New Yorkers should be ready for a big storm this weekend”, de Blasio said. “We will move the snow”.
The National Weather Service is predicting anywhere from three to six inches of snow could fall in the area, and possibly more in some areas.
Coupled with the snow – which meteorologists say could be as much as 30 inches deep in Washington – will be high winds that may reach more than 50 miles per hour. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning that began overnight and extends until 4 a.m. Sunday. The watches start as early as Thursday and stretch into Saturday.
Forecasters say snow, sleet and freezing rain is possible in the mountains of Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties.
“There’s a lot of details that are yet to be seen”, Otto said. “Be a good neighbor-check on relatives, friends, and those who may be more vulnerable to cold and a big winter storm”.
All major airlines have issued waivers for travel over the weekend, allowing passengers to rebook onto earlier or later flights to avoid the storms.
Emergency responders had their hands full Wednesday after the snowfall began, although Randall Lewis, 911 assistant director, said the number of calls for service were probably fewer than it would have been if school hadn’t been canceled.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has called out 500 National Guard members to face the coming storm. The National Weather Service says some areas of the state could get up to 2 feet of snow.
“At this point, it is all about being prepared”, he said. “But winter isn’t over”.
In the south, areas that include Kentucky and North Carolina are expecting “significant icing”, the weather service said.
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This will contribute to beach erosion and coastal flooding (especially during high tide).
