Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 15 March 2017

‘A real kick in the rear’: Northeast hit by late-season snow

“The winters seem to be until we get all the snow
upside down now. January cleared,” said Jeff Gowen,
and February are nice and the acting facility manager
then March and April seem for the National Mall and
to be more wintry than they Memorial Parks. “The cher-
were in the past,” said Bob ry blossoms, they’re right
Clifford, who ventured out on the cusp of going into
on an early morning gro- bloom here. I had a feeling
cery run for his family in Al- this was going to happen.”
tamont, near Albany, New Kelly Erskine, a 28-year-old
York. His advice: “Just hide coffee shop manager from
inside. Hibernate.” Whitman, Massachusetts,
In the nation’s capital, non- about 25 miles south of
essential federal employ- Boston, made it almost all
ees were given the option the way through the winter
of reporting three hours without a shovel. She went
late, taking the day off or to Walmart on Tuesday
working from home. The morning to get one.
city got less than 2 inches “I live in an apartment com-
of snow. plex and they usually take
A few days ago, workers on care of the shoveling, but
Washington’s National Mall they sent a letter to us and
were making plans to turn said, ‘Expect a lot of snow.’
Two women struggle to walk in the blowing snow during a winter storm Tuesday, March 14, 2017, on the fountains. I knew from the letter that
in Boston. “Obviously all that has to I’d have to go out and buy
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) come to an abrupt stop a shovel,” she said.q

COLLEEN LONG was out of here. ... It’s a
DENISE LAVOIE real kick in the rear.”
Associated Press While people mostly heed-
NEW YORK (AP) — A blus- ed dire warnings to stay
tery late-season storm plas- home and off the roads,
tered the Northeast with police said a 16-year-old
sleet and snow Tuesday, girl was killed when she
paralyzing much of the lost control of her car on a
Washington-to-Boston cor- snowy road and hit a tree
ridor after a stretch of un- in Gilford, New Hampshire.
usually mild winter weather The storm closed schools in
that had people thinking cities big and small, Amtrak
spring was already here. suspended service and the
The powerful nor’easter fell post office halted mail de-
well short of the predicted livery.
snow totals in New York Philadelphia and New York
and Philadelphia but un- City got anywhere from
loaded 1 to 2 feet in many a few inches of snow to
places inland, grounded around half a foot before
more than 6,000 flights the storm switched over
and knocked out power mostly to sleet; forecasters
to nearly a quarter-million had predicted a foot or
customers from Virginia more. In New Jersey, which
northward. saw rain or just a little snow
By the time it reached Mas- in many areas, Gov. Chris
sachusetts, it had turned Christie called the storm an
into a blizzard, with near “underperformer.” But offi-
hurricane-force wind gust- cials warned of dangerous
ing over 70 mph along the ice. Inland areas, mean-
coast and waves crashing while, got hit hard. Harris-
over the seawalls. Up to a burg, Pennsylvania, and
foot of snow was expected Worcester, Massachusetts,
in the Boston area. received a foot or more
It was easily the biggest of snow. The Binghamton,
storm in a merciful winter New York, area got over
that had mostly spared 2 feet, while Vernon, New
the Northeast, and many Jersey, had at least 19
weren’t happy about it. inches.
“It’s horrible,” said retired The storm came just days
gumball-machine techni- after the region saw tem-
cian Don Zimmerman, of peratures climb into the
Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, 60s, and less than a week
using a snowblower to before the official start of
clear the sidewalk along spring. February, too, was
his block. “I thought winter remarkably warm.