Winter storm Stella rolled into the Northeast region overnight Monday with a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The nor’eastershould taper off by midday Tuesday, but might spark snow showers into early Wednesday morning. The heavy snow has created dangerous driving conditions, impacted mass transit and, in many cities, prompted school cancellations. Want the latest news about Stella? Follow along our live blog.
8:05 p.m.: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the travel ban on I-84 has been lifted.
A temporary tractor trailer ban remains in effect on I-81, I-86/Route 17, I-87 from Albany to the Canadian border, I-88 and on all of the New York State Thruway.
“The severe weather has begun to subside in the Mid-Hudson Valley region, allowing us to safely reopen I-84 to travelers,” Cuomo said. “I urge New Yorkers to continue to exercise caution and head out only if necessary – many parts of the state remain under storm warnings and it is vital that our first responders and emergency crews can clear the roads effectively and efficiently.” 7:40 p.m.: The New York City Mayor’s Office tweeted, “The worst of the storm has passed, but a state of emergency remains in effect.”
The public is still urged to stay off the roads for safety and for ease of snow removal by the city.
Above-ground train and Metro North services were restored earlier in the evening. “As the severity of weather conditions decrease, we are restoring MTA above-ground subway and limited Metro North service so New Yorkers can resume their routines,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “The state is responding quickly to changing weather conditions, and we encourage New Yorkers to stay home where possible and continue exercising caution as we ride out the storm.” The Seastreak Ferry, which services New York, New Jersey andNew England, will resume normal service on Wednesday in all locations, except the 5:15 p.m. Pier 11 departure, which is cancelled.
The East River Ferry will be operating on a modified schedule. Click here for Wednesday’s schedule. The Staten Island Ferry is running on a modified schedule, with boats every 30 minutes.
The Long Island Rail Road is running on a normal schedule, but experiencing delays.
The Port Washington Branch is operating on or close to schedule forllowing earlier delays caused by signal trouble near Bayside.
— LIRR (@LIRR) March 14, 2017
6:38PM Long Beach due Atlantic Terminal at 7:33PM is operating 48 minutes late due to not being able to close the Reynolds Channel Bridge.
— LIRR (@LIRR) March 14, 2017
The LIRR is experiencing delays averaging 5-10 minutes on the Port Washington Branch due to signal trouble near Bayside.
— LIRR (@LIRR) March 14, 2017
6:13PM Penn due Long Beach at 7:10PM is being delayed at Valley Stream Station due to not being able to close the Reynolds Channel Bridge.
— LIRR (@LIRR) March 14, 2017
The LIRR is experiencing delays averaging 5-10 minutes on the Port Washington Branch due to winter weather conditions.
— LIRR (@LIRR) March 14, 2017
Buses replace trains Long Beach to Island Park. Limited train service west of Island Park. Repairs anticipated to take approximately 1 hour.
— LIRR (@LIRR) March 14, 2017
4 p.m.: A wind advisory is still in effect for New York until 6 p.m. and a winter weather advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. The National Weather Service has cancelled the blizzard warning and reports that New York City expects a total of 4 to 8 inches. The temperature at LaGuardia Airport is 31 with a wind chill of 17 degrees. Gusts are being recorded as high as 41 mph. New York City schools are open Wednesday, de Blasio announced earlier.
The high wind warning is in effect until 6 p.m. for Boston while the winter storm warning is set to end at 5 p.m.
The temperature is 33 degrees at Logal International Airport with fog, wind and small hail and snow pellets reported. It feels like 18 degrees with the wind chill as wind gusts top 48 mph. Boston schools are closed Wednesday, per Mayor Walsh.
The emergency snow declaration was lifted earlier in Pennsylvania, but Philadelphia should still expect icy conditions.
The temperature at Philadelphia International Airport is 34 degrees with a wind chill of 23 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. 3:15 p.m.: Boston Mayor Walsh announced that Boston city schools will be closed Wednesday as a precaution due to the freezing temperatures expected. “I get concerned,” the mayor said. “Kids wait at bus stops and I don’t want to put them in harms way.” Although the roads should be cleared by Wednesday, the mayor added that he does not want yellow school buses on the roads.
All city offices will be open and on a regular schedule. Trash and recycling collection will also resume on Wednesday, but street sweeping is still cancelled.
The city of Boston has seen 6 to 8 inches of snow, which is giving way to rain. Winds are high and visibility is low, the mayor warned. Sleet is expected around 10 p.m. and rain and slush will continue into Wednesday. “Stay in your home until tomorrow morning if you can. … This is going to freeze up now,” Walsh said.
The snow emergency that went into effect at 7 a.m. will be listed at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Walsh.
The mayor asked all residents to shovel and salt their walks, adding that throwing snow into the street is a violation. Check hydrants and keep a clear path to fire hydrants when shoveling, Walsh requested, but use caution. “This snow is very heavy,” he said. “It’s bad on the heart.”
The city can expect more freezing temperatures this week and another storm possible for the weekend.
3 p.m.: Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is scheduled to give an update on the snowstorm.
2:55 p.m.: If you have to be on the road, be aware of flooding and other hazerdous road conditions. A tractor trailer jackknifed and spun out of control in Boston earlier today.
Flooding conditions on the FDR under covered roadway south of 96th street. Use caution. pic.twitter.com/QNWyHCxSag
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) March 14, 2017
If you are content staying in, you can entertain yourself with these ideas for snow day streamables or download a book from the library.
So you got the bread and milk but forgot to grab a book this snow day? Don’t worry – you can check out an eBook: https://t.co/yqHOEDryfL pic.twitter.com/YPklICKHe2
— NY Public Library (@nypl) March 14, 2017
2:30 p.m.: Gov. Tom Wolf (D-Pa.) is giving an update on Facebook Live. He is warning viewers about high winds, the pattern of thawing and refreezing and the transport of an infant in need of a heart transplant from a hospital in Stroudsburg to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
2 p.m.: Snowfall totals have risen in the greater Boston area, as Logan Airport now has about 4.5 inches.Boston’s Director of Emergency Management Rene Fielding says 6 to 8 inches are expected by 3 p.m.
At 3 p.m., the forecast calls for a shift to a wintry mix of sleet and rain, which will continue until between 8 and 10 p.m. Temperatures will drop into the mid-20s Tuesday night, which could cause the snow on the ground to freeze. The city is prepping for how to handle icy conditions;
No power outages yet reported in Boston, but more than 60,000 people are without power in Massachusetts, mostly in Worcester, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
1:30 p.m.: Philadelphia Parking Authority announces it will resume parking enforcement at 4 p.m. Trash pickup for Wednesday will continue; pickups Tuesday will be held until next week.
1:25 p.m.: MBTA resumes service on the Green line, in addition to Blue and Red.
#MBTA #GreenLine B branch: Update: Regularly scheduled service has resumed pic.twitter.com/5F3PWI6CeB
— MBTA (@MBTA) March 14, 2017
1 p.m.:Philadelphia lifted its snow emergency at 1 p.m. Tuesday, managing director Mike DiBerardinis announced.
While Streets Department vehicles are still plowing and salting the streets, this means people can now park again on snow emergency routes. Parking violations will begin to be enforced again at 4 p.m., and trash collection will resume Wednesday. 12:55 p.m.: New York City schools will be open Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced in a press conference, while the state of emergency remains in effect until midnight. 12:30 p.m.: Philadelphia’s public transportation service, SEPTA, is working to maintain service throughout the storm and efforts to clean up snow. While the majority of SEPTA bus lines were suspended Tuesday morning due to snowfall, trolley, subway and CCT service for disabled passengers are still operating normally, and the Regional Rail is still on a Saturday schedule. But all routes might not be brought back with full service by Wednesdsay, SEPTA general manager Jeffrey Knueppel told Metro Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ll work to bring back routes as the storm subsides and roadway conditions improve,” Knueppel said. “The weather and related service impacts will continue to evolve.” CheckSEPTA.orgfor status updates on various transit lines.
12:15 p.m.: MTA announced service changes to the 4, 5, and 6 trains:
Additional information about changes in service impacting 4, 5, and 6 trains. pic.twitter.com/BQqylg0Kdr
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) March 14, 2017
12 p.m.: New York Gov. Cuomo gives second update of Tuesday, announcing that New York City and Long Island will receive less snow than anticipated, as Stella has moved west by midday. Much of the snow has turned to sleet and freezing rain, though, which is still creating dangerous conditions in the NYC area. Cuomo said clearing the roads is still a priority, and urged citizens to stay away as crews work to clear snow and slush before the temperatures drop and freeze roadways, impacting Wednesday’s commute. Cuomo also warned of fallen branches and power lines on Long Island due to high winds. As of noon, Cuomo said there were about 500 power outages in Nassau and approximately 1,300 in Suffolk; crews are working to restore power before nightfall, he said.
11:40 a.m.: Midday forecast update:
BOSTON: Currently 33 degrees, but feels like 17 degrees. Snow will continue to fall at a rate of 1 to 4 inches per hour with winds up to 40 miles per hour. Snow will transition to rain around 5 p.m., and it will continue until midnight. Temperatures will stay in the mid-30s for the rest of Tuesday, and gusts will slow to 20 to 30 miles per hour later Tuesday evening.
Wednesday morning commute will be mostly sunny and windy, with temperatures hovering around 25 degrees.
PHILADELPHIA: Currently freezing rain and 32 degrees, feels like 19 degrees, with winds up to 24 miles per hour. Rain will end around 1 p.m., giving way to cloudy, windy conditions for a few hours. Snow will briefly resume from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday evening and Wednesday will be cloudy and windy. Overnight temperatures will be in the mid-20s.
Wednesday morning commute will be cloudy and cold, around 22 degrees.
NEW YORK CITY: Currently 31 degrees, feels like 17 degrees, as snow falls and winds push 24 miles per hour. A wintry mix will continue until 3 p.m., giving way to rain that will continue until around midnight. Overnight will be cold in the high 20s, but will feel like it’s in the high teens, with moderate winds.
Wednesdasy morning commute will be cloudy and windy, around 25 degrees but will feel like 10 degrees.
10:40 a.m.: Boston’s MTA is now running the Blue and Red lines.
#MBTA #RedLine Ashmont branch: Update: Regularly scheduled service has resumed pic.twitter.com/mcZQNeyppO
— MBTA (@MBTA) March 14, 2017
10 a.m.: Tune in for an update from Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Facebook Live.
9:45 a.m.: The National Weather Service of New York City updated its snowfall accumulation and weather forecasts for Tuesday. Areas in red will see 1 to 2 feet of snow and gusts up to 45 miles per hour. Areas in pink will get 4 to 14 inches and gusts from 50 to 60 miles per hour. Areas in blue will get 4 to 8 inches and gusts up to 50 miles per hour.
Snow has mixed with sleet and rain, therefore we have updated our watches, warnings and advisories… pic.twitter.com/cysASercJl
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) March 14, 2017
9:40 a.m.:The storm was downgraded to a winter advisory for New York City, which is in effect until 8 p.m. The blizzard warning was canceled, but thunder was crackling and strong wind gusts were still blowing freezing rain. Meteorologists are expecting up to 8 inches of snow in the city. 9:00 a.m.:The National Weather Service released updated snowfall totals:
BOSTON:0.3 inches at Logan Airport and in Winthrop; 1.0 inches in Framingham; 2.5 inches in Amherst; and 3.5 inches in West Springfield. PHILADELPHIA:3.9 inches at Philadelphia International Airport; 4.0 inches at Philadelphia Fire Department Ladder 66 in Roxborough; 2.5 inches at Engine 73 in Cheltenham. NEW YORK CITY:4 inches in Central Park; 5.9 inches at LaGuardia Airport; 6.9 inches at JFK International Airport.
[7 am] Not snowing at your location? No worries, snow hole over #RI & southeast #MA will quickly give way to steady #snow by 8 am. #CT pic.twitter.com/A00ELiDx6V
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) March 14, 2017
8:50 a.m.:Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Bakerthanked the publicTuesday morning for staying off roads, and warned anyone who has to travel to steer clear of emergency responders and snow plows. He also warned of the possibility of widespread power outages in coastal areas, due to heavy, wet snow and high winds. Crews are ready to respond should the power go out, Baker said.
8:30 a.m.:In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would suspend Metro-North service at noon because of the heavy amount of snow falling Upstate. The storm appears to have shifted west, meaning less snow for New York City and Long Island, but more farther north, in the Hudson Valley, Cuomo said during a telephone interview on NY1. That area north of the city is experiencing 4 inches an hour, Cuomo said. In the city, snow has turned to a mixture of ice and sleet, pelting down amid gusts of wind. 7:30 a.m.:The National Weather Service still has a blizzard warning, seen in red, on New York City and winter storm warnings, in pink, in Long Island, Philadelphia and parts of Boston.
Blizzard Warnings for parts of Long Island have been converted to Winter Storm Warnings as more in the way of a wintry mix is expected. pic.twitter.com/4hx357fRYd
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) March 14, 2017
If you’re braving the weather and heading outside, roads in many areas have not been plowed or salted yet. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) warned against any unnecessary travel, but urged residents to take public transit when they can. BOSTON:The MBTAcommuter rail is operating at a blue level. Boston’s public transportation system shut down about one-third of its trains, and suspended express service. Riders can expect delays of 15 to 25 minutes. PHILADELPHIA:SEPTA is still running 24-hour service on the Market Frankford and Broad Street lines, with trains coming every 20 minutes. The Regional Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule, except for the Cynwyd Line, which will not operate, and the Wilmington/Newark Line, which runs on an enhanced Saturday schedule. Additional bus and trolley routes have also been suspended.Check with SEPTA for the latest updates. NEW YORK:All above-ground MTA service was suspended at 4 a.m. Tuesday, but underground service is expected to run. Buses will run in the morning, but could be suspended based on weather and driving conditions. Metro-North is going to suspend service at noon. Metro-North trains will be suspended at noon, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, because of the heavy amount of snow falling north of New York City. New Jersey Transit buses have been suspended until the snow stops, and trains will operate on weekend schedules as weather permits. Service is expected to resume Wednesday, weather and road conditions permitting. The Staten Island Ferry is operating on a modified schedule during the morning rush hour, with service every 30 minutes.
Amtrak:Amtrak has suspended all Northeast Regional service between NYC and Boston and Empire Service between NYC and Albany until further notice. Got snow? Send your photos of Winter Storm Stella to us using #MetroSnowPics to see them online or in our paper!
Alexis Sachdev and Kimberly M. Aquilina contributed to this report.