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Snow, storms whack US and Europe
A slow-moving storm blanketed swaths of the US East Coast with nearly 2 feet of snow; 15 people froze to death in Poland; heavy snow and freezing temperatures led to the cancellation of a number of sporting events in Britain
- AP
- Published: 15:10 December 20, 2009
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- Snow covers the North Lawn of the White House in Washington after President Barack Obama returned from the climate conference in Copenhagen, early on Saturday.
- Image Credit: AP
Cherry Hill: A slow-moving storm that blanketed swaths of the US East Coast with nearly 2 feet (0.6 metres) of snow headed northward Sunday, continuing its assault after causing at least five deaths, crippling travel and leaving empty stores normally crammed with holiday shoppers.
As it approaches New England on the cusp of the winter solstice, the storm has already been one for the ages. It caused flooding in South Florida and knocked out electricity for more than 85,000 customers in North and South Carolina on Friday. On Saturday, it dropped 16 inches (40 centimeters) of snow on Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C. - the most ever recorded there for a single December day - and gave southern New Jersey its highest single-storm snowfall totals in nearly four years.
Even the National Football League, with its hallowed tradition of playing in all weather conditions, including "frozen tundras," pushed back the scheduled start times of games Sunday in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Around New York City, the brunt of the storm is expected to hit Long Island, with up to 18 inches (45 centimetres) and wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) forecast. Crews clearing roads on Long Island early Sunday reported whiteout conditions, said Lt. Robert P. Iberger of the Southampton police.
The 8 to 10 inches (25 centimetres) forecast to fall on New York City could make the storm the worst the city has seen since February 2006 when about 26 inches (66 centimeters) fell in Central Park, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Maloit said. Transit workers in New York were clearing subway tracks and platforms overnight, and delays were expected on bus routes, MTA spokesman Paul Fleuranges said early Sunday.
With strong wind gusts to keep the powdery snow swirling, the storm was so bad on Saturday that attractions such as the Smithsonian museums in Washington and the Philadelphia Zoo were closed.
Airports in the Northeast were also jammed up. Most flights were canceled at several, including Reagan National and Dulles in the Washington area" Philadelphia International" New York's three major airports and Logan Airport in Boston. The cancellations rippled across the country" more than 150 flights were canceled in and out of Chicago's airports, as were a handful in Denver.
Poland: 15 die in freezing weather
Warsaw: Polish police say 15 people froze to death in the country overnight as temperatures fell as low as minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) in some places.
Police also appealed Sunday to Poles to alert police if they come across homeless or drunk people lying outdoors in an attempt to lower the number of people who die each winter from the bitter cold.
Police say 47 people have already frozen to death countrywide since the beginning of December.
Weather hits weekend sport
London: A week of heavy snow and freezing temperatures have led to a large number of sports events being canceled across Britain this weekend.
Football has been the sport hardest hit, with 23 games in the English and Scottish football leagues postponed on Saturday due to frozen fields. The Scottish Premier League fixture between Hamilton and Dundee is the most notable casualty.
Heavy snow has also led to the cancellation of horse racing's National Hunt meeting at Ascot and races at Newcastle.
The cold weather is expected to continue throughout the rest of the weekend.
Do you know anyone who has been impacted by the bad weather? Were you planning to travel during the holiday season? What changes have you made to your schedule? Post your comments through the 'comments' link below
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