‘A real kick in the rear’: Northeast hit by late-season snow
NEW YORK — A blustery late-season storm plastered the Northeast with sleet and snow Tuesday, paralyzing much of the Washington-to-Boston corridor but falling well short of the predicted snow totals in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
The powerful nor’easter, which came after a stretch of unusually mild winter weather that had people thinking spring was already here, unloaded 1 to 2 feet in many places inland, grounded more than 6,000 flights and knocked out power to nearly a quarter-million customers from Virginia northward.
By the time it reached Massachusetts, it had turned into a blizzard, with near hurricane-force wind gusting over 70 mph along the coast and waves crashing over the seawalls. Boston ended up with 6.6 inches of snow, less than the predictions of up to a foot.
It was easily the biggest storm in a merciful winter that had mostly spared the Northeast, and many weren’t happy about it.