NEW YORK — Tens of millions of people along the US east coast hunkered down for a storm that for most failed to live up to predictions that it would be one of the worst they'd ever seen.
Forecasters originally said the storm could bring up to about a metre of snow and punishing hurricane-force winds. But early Tuesday, they downgraded most of those numbers, saying New England would fare the worst, but even then not as bad as expected.
Bruce Sullivan of the National Weather Service said Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, could get the most snow, about 60cm. New York could see up to 50cm, Hartford, Connecticut, 60cm, and Philadelphia and central New Jersey about 15cm.
The National Weather Service over the weekend had issued a blizzard warning for a 400-kilometre swath of the region, meaning heavy, blowing snow and potential whiteout conditions.
On Monday, life abruptly stopped across the region as officials ordered workers to go home early, banned travel, closed bridges and tunnels, and assembled their biggest ploughing crews.
"When you wake up in the morning, it is going to look like a blizzard," said Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker, echoing the concern of many government leaders.
Light snow fell steadily early Tuesday in midtown Manhattan as a few municipal trucks rumbled down empty streets. The city had an almost eerie feel to it. No airplanes in the sky, making for an unexpected quiet.
More than 7,700 flights in and out of the Northeast were cancelled, and many of them may not take off again until Wednesday. Schools and businesses let out early. Government offices closed. Shoppers stocking up on food jammed supermarkets and elbowed one another for what was left. Broadway stages went dark.
The aviation understatement of the day may have been uttered by Anthony Saccocio, trying to figure out how to slog it to John F. Kennedy International Airport to catch a plane that probably wouldn't take off for Thailand. He said of his vacation-travel planning: "I think I picked the worst possible day."
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to go home and stay there, adding: "People have to make smart decisions from this point on."
Pedestrians make their way through snow in New York Jan 26. More than 35 million people along the Philadelphia-to-Boston corridor rushed to get home and settle in Monday as a fearsome storm swirled in with the potential of 1-3 feet of snow (AP photo)
Commuters like Sameer Navi, 27, of Long Island, were following the advice.
Navi, who works for Citigroup in Manhattan, said he takes a train every day and left work early Monday after warnings by local officials to get home before the brunt of the storm. "I did leave earlier than usual," he said.
In New Jersey, ploughs and salt spreaders remained at work on the roads Monday night in Ocean County, one of the coastal areas that was expected to be among the hardest hit. There was a coating of snow on the roads, but hardly any vehicles were traveling on them, as residents seemed content to stay indoors and monitor the storm in comfort.
Most businesses in the area had gone dark, including some convenience stores and gas stations.
Earlier in the day, Nicole Coelho, a nanny from Lyndhurst, New Jersey, stocked up on macaroni and cheese, frozen pizzas and milk at a supermarket.
"I'm going to make sure to charge up my cell phone, and I have a good book I haven't gotten around to reading yet," she said.
On Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange stayed open and said it would operate normally Tuesday as well.
Utility companies across the region put additional crews on standby to deal with anticipated power outages.