NEW YORK, (MILLAT/APP/AFP): Winter Storm Stella
unleashed its fury on much of the northeastern United States Tuesday, dropping snow and sleet across the region and forcing school closures and thousands of flight cancellations.
Stella — the most powerful winter storm of the season — was forecast to dump up to two feet (61 centimeters) of snow in New York and whip the area with combined with winds of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour), causing treacherous whiteout conditions.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a 24-hour blizzard warning from midnight Monday (0400 GMT Tuesday) for a region stretching north into
Connecticut and south into New Jersey that includes New York City.
The storm however affects a densely populated area from Maine to Virginia, and as far west as Ohio.
More than 6,800 US flights were cancelled for Monday and Tuesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hardest hit, according to the tracking service FlightAware.
In Connecticut, the governor announced a statewide travel ban, as residents across the affected region were urged to stay off the roads.
The forecast postponed the first meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington until Friday.
In New York, UN headquarters announced it would close, a disruption for the thousands of delegates expected to attend a women’s conference.
In the financial markets, much of Wall Street was expected to work from home with low trade volume anticipated, due partly to Wednesday’s decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates.
In Washington, the National Park Service warned that the cold could wipe out up to 90 percent of the capital’s beloved cherry blossoms.
One popular meme on social media was a clip of actor Marlon Brando in his famous cry of “Stella!” from the steamy 1951 film “A Streetcar Named Desire.”