A blizzard hit the northeastern United States on Monday, dumping up to 74 centimeters of snow, disrupting air and rail travel, and challenging motorists with blowing snow and icy roads. New York City and eastern New Jersey were the hardest hit areas, which blew up the Atlantic Coast on Sunday night and continued up through Monday morning. New York's three major airports shut down on Sunday evening after at least 2,000 flights were canceled. States of emergency were declared in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine, and Massachusetts, where Democratic Governor Deval Patrick urged people who did not have to be on the roads to stay home, to ensure their safety and that of work crews. A blizzard warning, which is issued when snow is accompanied by sustained winds or gusts over 56 kilometers per hour (kph) for three hours, was in effect early Monday from Delaware to the far northern tip of Maine. The storm was expected to bring its heaviest snowfall in the early hours Monday, sometimes dumping 5 to 10 centimeters an hour. A total of 30 to 40 centimeters was expected across nearly all of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and eastern Massachusetts, though forecasters said winds of 80 kmh could create much deeper snow drifts. Almost 76 centimeters of snow fell in Bergen County, New Jersey by Monday morning, and 20 inches was reported in New York City's Central Park early Monday.
