Sawt Falasteen - Snowstorm blankets US northeast as New York sees travel ban

The so-called "Nor'easter" pummeled the region overnight, disrupting flights and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered nonessential drivers off the road until midday Monday and shut down schools. Authorities in neighboring New Jersey and Rhode Island issued similar travel restrictions.

Some were frustrated by the region's second major winter storm in weeks.

"I'm sick of it. I don't want to see no more snow," Vincent Greer, a resident of Wildwood, New Jersey, said as he shoveled outside his building.

Meanwhile, at New York's Grand Central station, others were admiring the city blanketed in snow.

"It's beautiful," Chris Crowell, 45, told AFP after a walk with a friend. "So much snow, it's just gorgeous. We did not expect to be out this long."

The National Weather Service warned that blizzard conditions and "crippling impacts" would continue in the northeast US for much of Monday.

As of 11:00 am (1600 GMT), more than 5,500 flights in or out of the United States were canceled and hundreds more delayed, according to tracking service FlightAware.

New York's three major airports as well as Boston Logan Airport saw the most cancellations.

At least four states -- Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island -- had seen two feet (60 centimeters) of snow by Monday morning.

- 'Historic proportions' -

The storm comes weeks after the region recovered from another devastating winter weather system that was linked to more than 100 deaths.

Officials did not hold back in their public warnings ahead of the latest snowfall.

"New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade," Mayor Mamdani said Sunday after declaring a state of emergency.

Some 15.1 inches (38 centimeters) of snow were recorded in Central Park, the most at New York City's official reporting station from a single storm in over five years.

The United Nations, which is headquartered in the city, was closed Monday due to the storm.

"The worst is yet to come," New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a briefing Sunday, urging residents to stock up on groceries and medicines.

In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu warned of a storm of "historic proportions" and closed all public schools and municipal buildings.

"We ask everyone to plan ahead, stay safe and warm, and stay off the roads to help our public works and public safety efforts," Wu said.

Citing the severe weather, Boston's transit authority said Monday that subway, bus and rail services would be limited, and ferry services canceled.

Snowplows were deployed across the northeast US Monday as officials sought to reduce prolonged disruption from the storm.

Major cities including New York, Philadelphia and Boston advertised dedicated warming centers for people caught outside in the cold.

I.Saadi--SF-PST