Planes, cars and trains came to a standstill across the densely populated US northeast on Friday in the face of a blizzard raging from New York to Boston.
The storm was forecast to bring the heaviest snow so far this winter along the New England coast, threatening power and transport links for tens of millions of people.
By late Friday, New York, one of the world’s busiest air travel hubs, was cut off from the skies as snow and wind led airlines to suspend all operations at LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy International airports.
Tom Bosco, general manager of LaGuardia, said the airport was “battling” the storm and would strive to remain open even after the airlines shut down for the night.
He estimated that if a foot of snow fell -- the worst case scenario forecasted for New York -- flights would resume “probably by mid-morning.”
The heaviest impact of the storm was expected overnight in and around Boston, and Governor Deval Patrick temporarily ordered all normal traffic off Massachusetts roads, with the threat of up to a year in jail for violators.
