A powerful nor’easter paralyzed large parts of the U.S. Northeast on Tuesday, shutting down airports, knocking out electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes, and forcing school systems from Boston to New York to navigate a chaotic return after what forecasters called the region’s most intense snowstorm in nearly a decade.
The storm dumped more than two feet of snow across wide swaths of the region, with Rhode Island emerging as the epicenter. Preliminary readings showed 37.9 inches at Providence’s main airport in Warwick — a potential state record — underscoring the scale of disruption hitting transportation, utilities, and municipal services at once.
Air Travel Hit Hard as 2,200 Flights Scrapped
Airlines continued to cancel flights deep into Tuesday as recovery efforts lagged behind snowfall totals. Roughly 2,200 flights in and out of the U.S. were canceled, according to flight-tracking data, with the heaviest disruptions concentrated in Boston and the New York metropolitan area.
Operational pauses at key hubs created ripple effects across domestic routes. Nearly half of all departures were affected at major Northeast airports, while Washington’s Reagan National also reported elevated cancellation rates.
Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport remained under an operational pause after recording nearly 38 inches of snowfall, surpassing a decades-old record. Airport officials said runway clearing and safety assessments would determine the timeline for full reopening.
Power Grid Strained Across Massachusetts
Beyond travel, the storm exposed vulnerabilities in regional energy infrastructure. At the height of the storm Monday, outages topped 600,000 customers. By early Tuesday, more than 350,000 homes and businesses across the Northeast remained without electricity, with Massachusetts accounting for the bulk of disruptions.
Coastal communities including Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard bore the brunt of the damage, with heavy snow and strong winds downing power lines. Utility provider Eversource said restoration in the hardest-hit areas could take multiple days.
The outages carry economic implications beyond inconvenience. Roughly 20% of Massachusetts households rely primarily on electricity for heating, increasing risks during prolonged winter blackouts.
Federal Response Under Budget Pressure
The White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is coordinating with state and local authorities to accelerate recovery efforts, despite operating under a temporary funding lapse linked to a broader Department of Homeland Security budget dispute.
Officials emphasized that emergency support remains active, though congressional funding tensions add uncertainty to longer-term recovery coordination if disruptions persist.
Schools Reopen as Cleanup Continues
New York City officials opted to reopen public schools Tuesday, affecting more than one million students. The decision drew mixed reactions as families navigated snow-clogged sidewalks and uneven street conditions.
Some parents questioned the timing, citing travel hazards and staffing uncertainty, while city leadership expressed confidence in cleanup progress and transportation readiness.
Elsewhere, municipalities across Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts continued to tally final snowfall totals as the storm’s remnants pushed offshore.
Economic Ripples Extend Beyond the Snow
Major winter storms carry measurable economic costs. Flight cancellations translate into lost airline revenue and added operational expenses. Retail and hospitality activity slows sharply during regional shutdowns. Utility restoration efforts add overtime costs and strain already tight labor markets.
With another winter system potentially forming later this week, municipal budgets and corporate operations face the possibility of repeated disruptions.
For ongoing official updates and verified storm data, readers can follow coverage from the Associated Press.
