State of emergency declared as US storm disrupts hundreds of flights

(Sky News)-A powerful winter storm has disrupted one of the busiest travel weekends of the year in New York City and northeastern US.

Forecasters had predicted up to 11in of snow by 1pm Saturday, with the heaviest accumulation expected in the northern parts of the New York City and New Jersey metro areas.

By Saturday morning, New York City had received around four inches of snow – slightly below expectations – and the skies were beginning to clear.

Still, the storm has already caused significant disruptions to holiday travel, with at least 1,500 flights canceled since Friday night, according to the flight-tracking service FlightAware.

John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, and LaGuardia Airports issued snow warnings on social media, cautioning that weather conditions could lead to further flight disruptions.

New York and New Jersey were put under states of emergency.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams posted on X, saying, “That white stuff is coming, NYC! We’re ready for however much we get.”

He later shared a post showing the salt spreaders and snowploughs out in force, treating the city streets.

The last time the Big Apple experienced heavy snowfall was in 2022, when 8in of snow fell in Central Park.

New York governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Friday: “I encourage everyone to monitor local forecasts and avoid unnecessary travel. If you have to travel, plan ahead, take it slow, and leave plenty of time to get to where you need to go safely.”

New Jersey governor Tahesha Way wrote on X on Friday: “Due to the severe snowstorm, with the potential of icy and slippery conditions, I have declared a State of Emergency across the state, beginning this afternoon.

“Please monitor official updates and remain off the roads unless necessary. Stay safe, New Jersey!”

The New York City area was expected to see between 2in and 5in of snow, with some areas seeing 6in towards the north, according to the National Weather Service.

Six to 11in of snow was predicted from upstate New York to Long Island, with 12in possible, the National Weather Service had said.

New York’s Department of Sanitation has prepared 700 million pounds of salt to treat icy roads.

The impact of the cold snap has been felt at airports across the country.

San Francisco and Orlando experienced travel delays, as snow began falling on Friday at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Airports in Florida have also seen hundreds of delayed flights, according to Sky’s US partner NBC News.

At Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, a resort southeast of Yosemite National Park, two ski patrollers were injured Friday morning in an avalanche and taken to a hospital, a resort official said. The resort has seen more than 5ft (1.5m) of snow since Tuesday.

As much as 2ins (5cm) of snowfall an hour was expected in the Sierra Nevada, making mountain pass travel treacherous.

Local officials rescued a backcountry skier who was buried in an avalanche Thursday near the Mount Rose ski resort on the edge of Reno.