At a Glance
- A snow emergency was declared in Washington D.C.
- Hundreds of flights were canceled.
- Schools in several districts announced closures for Monday.
Hundreds of vehicle crashes were reported and flights were canceled at major airports as Winter Storm Orlena trekked across the upper Midwest and into the East Sunday, prompting a state of emergency in New Jersey and warnings for residents in New York to monitor conditions closely as the storm moves their way.
"New York is directly in the path of a major storm set to become a nor'easter as it approaches the East Coast later tonight," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said late Sunday afternoon on Twitter. "I urge New Yorkers to keep a very close eye on the weather over the next few days and take steps to stay safe."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency as of 7 p.m. EST Sunday. New Jersey Transit announced that service would be suspended Monday for buses and most rail lines.
(MORE: New York City Could See a Foot of Snow in Winter Storm Orlena. Here's How Often That Happens.)
A snow emergency was declared in Philadelphia starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Earlier, more than 300 flights were canceled and at least 367 delayed at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to FlightAware. More than 70 were canceled at Chicago Midway. At least 122 flights were canceled at Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C. and 130 at Baltimore-Washington International.
The storm dumped between 6 and 10 inches of snow in parts of Illinois, including the greater Chicago area, overnight and into Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 6 inches are possible in the Washington D.C. area, where Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a snow emergency starting at 9 a.m. Sunday.
(MORE: Latest Forecast for Winter Storm Orlena)
The storm brought the highest daily snowfall total for the city in the past two years.
"Washington, D.C. won't see the heaviest snow from this winter storm, but it finally ended a long-time snow drought," weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said. "Reagan National Aiport had picked up 1.4 inches of snow as of early Sunday afternoon, marking the first inch or greater snowfall from a storm there in nearly two years. Feb. 20, 2019, is the last time that nation's capital officially had a snowstorm that produced more than an inch.
A giant snowball fight broke out on the National Mall, as people ventured outside to see the winter wonderland.
Maryland State Police responded to more than 70 crashes 37 disabled/unattended vehicles and more than 200 calls for service in the six-hour period from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More than 690 winter response vehicles were working to clear and maintain roads late Sunday afternoon, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.
Virginia State Police responded to more than 270 vehicle crashes and 240 stuck vehicles between midnight and about 2 p.m. EST. Four firefighters were hurt when their truck spun out and flipped over on a snowy road in the Richmond, Virginia, area as the storm moved eastward Saturday morning. The Henrico County Fire Department posted photos of the incident and said all four firefighters involved walked away from the crash and wre transported to local hospitals.
Several school districts announced closures for Monday, including Alexandria City Public Schools, Fairfax County and Loudon County in Virginia as well as New York City. Many, including New York, will have virtual learning instead.
Schools in Washington D.C. are supposed to reopen Monday for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic nearly a year ago.
(MORE: Track Winter Storm Orlena)
The grounds of the U.S. Capitol, normally a popular sledding spot that draws big crowds, won't be open for this storm, Capitol Police said Saturday. The complex has been closed since the attack there on Jan. 6.
“Unfortunately, due to the current security posture, COVID-19 restrictions, and the deconstruction of the Inaugural platform, we cannot permit sledding on the Capitol Complex at this time,” police spokesperson Eva Malecki said, told WRC-TV.
Last week, Winter Storm Orlena brought rain and snow combined with high winds to parts of California, causing widespread power outages, mudslides and flooding.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
