The Latest on the Historic Snowstorm Currently Thumping the Northeast
It's here! A huge snowstorm (which some—not me!—are calling "Nemo") is currently moving ominously across the Northeast, piling up feet of snow and rousing winds over 50 m.p.h. up and down the east coast. Here's the latest on the possibly record-breaking storm, from New Jersey to Maine.
In New York City
- New Yorkers should expect somewhere between 11 and 15 inches of snow by tomorrow morning, though it could be more or less depending on how far you are from the coastline.
- They should also expect heavy winds, up to 50 m.p.h. in some places.
- Point being, don't go outside.
- MTA subways and buses are still running, and no major suspensions are anticipated. (Though: come on.) Metro-North will be suspended starting at 10 p.m., and Governor Cuomo has already declared a state of emergency.
- Some 2,000 flights have been cancelled out of the metro's three major airports; northbound Amtrak service has been stopped. No one's leaving.
- There's a coastal flooding warning for all boroughs except the Bronx.
- Alternate-side parking has been suspended until Monday.
- If you live in New York City and see or know a homeless person on the street or another public place, call 311. The Department of Homeless Services is doubling its efforts tonight and will be checking on its clients twice as often.
- Fashion Week is still, apparently, on, with more heat and doubled-up tents. Good luck, I guess.
In the Rest of the Tri-State Area
- Northern New Jersey is looking at something like three to six inches of snow; Connecticut—which already has several inches—could get as much as two feet by the end of the day tomorrow.
- The Jersey Shore is bracing for flooding.
- Most NJ Transit busses and trains have been suspended. So have all CT Transit busses.
- A number of gas stations on Long Island and in New Jersey and Connecticut are out of gas as people rush to stock up for their generators.
- The Governor of Connecticut has declared a state of emergency.
In Massachusetts & New England
- Northern New England is fucked the worst: over two feet in parts of Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, and only slightly less in Vermont and Rhode Island.
- Plus winds of over 60 m.p.h. in same places.
- In addition to a state of emergency, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has declared a statewide travel ban. No cars on the road—if you're caught, the punishment is up to a year in prison and a hefty fine. (This is the first such ban since Boston's record-setting 1978 blizzard, which dropped 27" of snow.)
- In Rhode Island, there's a highway travel ban.
- Maine doesn't have a travel ban yet—but there was a 19-car pileup.
In California
Odds and Ends
- Here's a great video from NASA, showing what the storm looks like to an alien:
- If you're taking our suggestion and refusing to call the storm "Nemo," you might try out "Snowtorious B.I.G.," per the Mayor of Danbury, Conn.
- In case you hadn't realize just how real this all is:
Due to storm #nemo, our NY, Boston & Provincetown stores are now closed, reopening at normal hrs tmrw. Stay safe everyone!
— Marc Jacobs Intl (@MarcJacobsIntl) February 8, 2013
- The New York Times has some nice web stuff, including a gallery of user-submitted Instagram photos of the snow and and an interactive snowfall graphic for the entire Northeast.
- If you're looking for something to read while you hunker down, here's a list of the best Gawker longreads from last year If you want to read boring stuff about the storm, both The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have lifted their paywalls.
[images via AP]