NEW YORK—Plunging temperatures ushered in by the storm that plastered the Northeast turned the snow and sleet into rock-solid ice, leaving roads and sidewalks treacherous Wednesday and making shoveling seem like hard labor.
Tuesday’s powerful nor'easter paralyzed much of the Washington-to-Boston corridor, but fell short of the predicted snowfall totals in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
The storm, which followed a stretch of unusually mild winter weather, dumped 1 to 2 feet in many places, grounded more than 1,000 flights Wednesday after 6,200 flights were canceled a day earlier. It also knocked out power to nearly a quarter-million customers from Virginia northward.
By the time it reached Massachusetts, it had turned into a blizzard, with near hurricane-force winds gusting to over 70 mph along the coast. Boston ended up with 6.6 inches of snow, far less than what was predicted.
Boston canceled school for a second day Wednesday to allow time for cleanup efforts. Mayor Marty Walsh said he made the call out of “an abundance of caution.”
