Snow and Blizzard Disrupt Activities in Washington and New York

As snow and blizzards continued in the eastern United States on Saturday, February 3, all activities in the cities of Washington and New York have come to a halt, and officials have urged millions of citizens in these areas to stay home until the snowfall ends. According to the Associated Press, at least 17 people have died in snow-related accidents across six states in the U.S. Forecasts indicate that the snow and blizzard will continue Saturday night into early Sunday in Washington and New York, and will then spread to northeastern states. Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, has announced a vehicle travel ban in the city, and all activities in the most populous city in America have been suspended. Reports indicate that thousands of vehicles are stranded on a highway in Kentucky due to icy roads, and 200,000 people in that state are without power. Washington has received 40 centimeters of snow by Saturday evening, and it is expected that heavy snowfall will continue until midnight. Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, stated that given the snow and blizzard, citizens are better off staying home and there is no reason to be outside in such weather. The chief of police in Washington also mentioned that visibility has significantly decreased due to the snow and blizzard, and citizens should remain indoors. Meanwhile, the governor of New York has stated that the weather service has predicted that snowfall amounts will exceed previous forecasts. Andrew Cuomo added that a snowfall of 30 inches is unprecedented in recent decades, and all roads will be closed to protect citizens' lives. Earlier reports indicated that over 85 million people in at least 20 states in the U.S. are in the path of the snow and blizzard. Nearly 6,300 flights on Friday and Saturday, February 2 and 3, U.S. time, especially to and from airports in New York and Philadelphia, have been canceled. At least 7,000 other flights were delayed on Friday. Alex Sosnowski, a weather expert, told Reuters that the current blizzard could break the snowfall record set in 2010 and its intensity could match the severe winter storm of 1922, which brought 70 centimeters of snow.