Whiteout! Before and after photos show how Storm Gail has battered the East Coast killing six and causing over 1,000 crashes as more snow falls in one day in NYC than the WHOLE of last winter
Before and after photos reveal how Storm Gail has battered the East Coast of the Unites States, killing six and causing more than a thousand crashes on roadways along the Eastern states.
More snow fell in one day in New York City Wednesday than the whole of last winter, blanketing areas in thick flakes and drastically changing the cityscape from just one day before.
Pictures taken Thursday after Gail struck show outdoor dining sites blanketed in snow in the East Village of Manhattan, statues in Union Square turned white and people playing in the snow under Manhattan Bridge - a far cry from Tuesday's milder scenes.
In Kennebunkport, Maine, a light dusting of snow Wednesday night was replaced the next morning by thick snow as the full force of Gail was felt through the small town.
At least six people have been killed in snow-related incidents across the East Coast caused by the powerful nor'easter which began blanketing areas from northern Virginia to New York City to southern Maine Wednesday night.
More than 600 crashes were reported across New York state through Wednesday night, including a 27-car pile up in New York City that left six injured, as other parts of the state were smothered in more than 40 inches of snow.
In Pittsburgh, two lucky EMS workers managed to escape unscathed when a truck lost control and plowed head-on into their vehicle when they were responding to a separate crash.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, two people were killed in a 60 car pile-up in Clinton County and many more were taken to hospital with injuries.
A one-vehicle crash in Snyder County left the driver dead after they lost control of the car due to the treacherous conditions.
Another person died in one of more than 200 collisions in Virginia and more than 350 crashes were reported in Maryland by the early hours of Thursday morning, as authorities begged residents to stay home.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced two snow-related deaths in the Empire state overnight.
Meanwhile, a Spirit Airlines airplane skidded off the taxiway and onto the grass Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Flight 696 from Las Vegas had arrived safely at the airport, at about 6:18am, but skidded off the taxiway while turning a corner as it made its way to the terminal. None of the 111 passengers on board were injured, abc7 reported.
CLINTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: Two people were killed in a 60 car pile-up in Clinton County and many more were taken to hospital with injuries
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: Only midway through the winter storm, Kennebunkport is seen already covered in snow
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A snowman is seen in Washington Square Park while a young child plays in the snow Thursday
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: An NYPD cruiser is covered in snow and the road is yet to be cleared
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: A Spirit Airlines airplane skidded off the taxiway and onto the grass Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETTS: A pedestrian moves out of the way of a plow on a narrow street during Winter Storm Gail in the Dorchester neighborhood
SHENANDOAH VALLEY, VIRGINIA: A truck veers off the road in Virginia where more than 200 crashes have occurred
LATHAM, NEW YORK: New York State Police Troopers are out on the roads Thursday morning assisting motorists
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Driver and ambulance crews look on in terror as a car hurtled toward them and was unable to stop before smashing into the EMS vehicle
Pennsylvania and New York bore the brunt of Gail's path with up to 40 inches recorded in some small towns.
In Central Park, Manhattan, 6.5 inches of snow and sleet had fallen by midnight Wednesday, the National Weather Service New York reported Thursday morning.
This is more snow in the first day of the season than the city saw throughout the entire winter season last year, when just 4.8 inches fell.
By 8 a.m., as New Yorkers were waking up to one of the biggest snowfalls in years, this record had been smashed further with Central Park under 10 inches of snow.
This is still a long way from its record snowfall seen in 2016 when a single storm dumped 27.5 inches on Central Park and more than a foot of snow across the city.
A National Weather Service spokesperson said the storm had set a new two-day snowfall record for the state by mid-morning, passing the previous record of 35.3 inches back in March 2017.
Across New York state, troopers responded to more than 600 storm-related crashes by Thursday morning and residents were urged to avoid travel and keep roads clear for plows to work.
Two people have been killed in New York as a result of the nor'easter, Cuomo revealed Thursday morning.
No further details about their identities or cause of death was given.
A satellite image shows Storm Gail over the East Coast of America as of 12 p.m. EST Thursday
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: The Naked Cowboy rocked up to Times Square in his signature cowboy boots, hat and white briefs to sing and play guitar despite the bitter temperatures
NEW RIVER VALLEY, VIRGINIA: One person died in one of more than 200 collisions in Virginia
CORNING, NEW YORK: State troopers help a vehicle which has plowed off the road due to the treacherous conditions
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Snow covers the Charging Bull sculpture in the Financial District of Manhattan
BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETTS: A woman helps her friend stand up after slipping in the deep snow on the sidewalk
BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT: People wade through the thick snow in Vermont. The state has seen snowfall of up to 30.5 inches
GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT: Residents dig out the snow from the area after Storm Gail struck overnight
This comes after one person on a snowmobile was killed when they collided with a tractor-trailer on I-787 in downtown Albany early Monday.
A 27-car pile-up took place near West 181 Street in Upper Manhattan at about 6:10 p.m. Wednesday night, just a few hours after the first snowfall was felt across the city.
The crash left four people in a serious - but non life-threatening - condition while two others suffered minor injuries and the southbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway connecting Manhattan and the Bronx were shuttered as emergency services responded to the scene.
Motorists were stranded along I-81 south between exits 7 and 8 in the town of Barker Thursday morning, New York State Police said.
Troopers were dispatched to the area on snowmobiles to help get vehicles off the roads.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged New Yorkers to stay home Thursday morning after parts of the state were hammered by over 40 inches of snow, 9,100 power outages and more than 600 car crashes.
More than 3,700 of the outages were in homes in Long Island.
Newark Valley - a tiny village just outside Binghamton -was hardest hit by the snow with 44 inches of snow, followed by Binghamton and Vestal where 41 inches was reported and Broome County where 3 feet of snowfall fell.
The state capital recorded 17.5 inches near the Albany Airport at 7 a.m., already smashing its record for December 17 set in 1970 with 11.1 inches, the National Weather Service said.
By around 11 a.m., parts of Binghamton were under more than 2.5 feet of snow, said Cuomo.
Mayor David Rich put the city under a state of emergency Thursday, and urged people to stay off the roads.
Cuomo declared a state of emergency in 18 counties of New York state including Capital Region, Southern Tier and Hudson Valley Thursday morning as he held a storm briefing from Kingston.
'Newsflash it snowed a lot in New York state,' he said.
'It is not safe and you shouldn't be out there if you don't have to be out there,' he said, adding that staying away will help plow crews clear the way.
'The storm leaves this afternoon. We'll clean it up and move on.'
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Drivers remove snow from their vehicles which are buried deep in the snow
ALBANY, NEW YORK: Motorists on the Major Deegan highway drive through the snowstorm Thursday
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A Taxi drives by the Washington Square Arch in Washington Square Park
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A woman crosses the street after snowfall during the nor'easter storm Thursday
GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT: Children enjoy a snow day, sledging down the hills at Bruce Park Thursday
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT: Blowing winds, snowdrifts and single digit temperatures hit the Eastern states
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: Deep snow covers the walkway in front of the chocolate store along the high street
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: A storm center vehicle is parked up about stores in the coastal town after Gail struck
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Snow blankets Astor Place in Manhattan as Storm Gail blankets the East Coast
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio gave a briefing soon after where he warned that 'it's been years since we've had this kind of challenge'.
Parts of the Bronx were under almost 11 inches of snow while the rest of the city was grappling with about 5-6 inches as of midday, with the Big Apple facing the most snow since January 2016, he said.
But, he added that the snowfall hadn't been as bad as predicted, with fewer power outages or downed trees than originally feared.
And the snow is expected to leave early afternoon, meaning the city's schools and outdoor dining can resume, he said.
Schools shuttered in-person learning Thursday but will reopen Friday and restaurants and bars can reopen roadside dining in Manhattan as soon as Thursday night.
De Blasio said he will provide an update later in the day for the reopening of outdoor dining in other boroughs.
He reiterated Cuomo's please for New Yorkers to stay off the streets until workers clear the snow.
The extreme weather wasn't enough to deter COVID-weary New Yorkers Wednesday night who parked up on sidewalks and in restaurant gardens to enjoy the last semblance of dining out currently on offer in the Big Apple.
It also didn't put off New York City's famous Naked Cowboy who rocked up to Times Square in his signature cowboy boots, hat and white briefs to sing and play guitar despite the bitter temperatures.
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: The weather didn't put off New York City's famous Naked Cowboy
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Robert Burck, better known as the 'Naked Cowboy', performs as snow falls in the city
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: People make their way through snow in the East Village Manhattan Thursday
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A dog enjoys a walk in the snow in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: A winter storm warning is in effect for York County and most of Cumberland County through late Thursday afternoon, where most of the snow is expected to fall
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: Total snow accumulations are expected to reach 6 to 12 inches in southernmost Maine
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A man sets to work shoveling snow out of the front of his restaurant Thursday
CLINTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: The 60-vehicle pileup Wednesday afternoon that left two people dead
On Monday, the New York City Department of Sanitation issued a Snow Alert ordering bars and restaurants to clear roadway dining setups from 2 p.m. Wednesday to make way for snow-clearing operations - just days after the state ordered indoor dining shut.
Defiant restaurant owners with sidewalk dining or private gardens braved the blizzards, with New Yorkers seen huddled in the snow Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, over in Western Pennsylvania, terrifying dashcam footage captured the moment an EMS vehicle was involved in a head-on crash along a Pittsburgh road.
The EMS crew was on the scene of another minor car crash and was checking the driver over for injuries when a white car drove round the corner.
The driver and ambulance crews looked on in terror as the car hurtled toward them and was unable to stop, causing them to leap out of its path.
The car struck the EMS vehicle but luckily everyone involved escaped unscathed.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, two people died Wednesday and many more were injured following a pileup of up to 66 vehicles on Interstate-80 in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.
State police on Thursday released shocking photos of the aftermath of the crash involving 55 commercial vehicles and 11 passenger vehicles across a one-mile stretch in Greene and Lamar Townships.
The crash occurred around 3p.m. when a dozen tractor-trailers spun out of control and collided.
One person died in the collision while the second person died from a medical issue not related to the crash, police said.
Several others were taken to hospital for treatment and, as of Thursday afternoon, the road remains closed while the scene is cleared.
Also in Pennsylvania, the driver of another vehicle was killed after they lost control on the road and crashed in Snyder County. Police said no other vehicles were involved in the accident.
A 19-year-old man from North Carolina, Brannagan Locklear, was also killed in a car crash in Virginia, according to authorities.
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: Snowfall records have been smashed across several regions of the East Coast
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: People dig themselves out of the snow in Brooklyn the morning after the nor'easter struck
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged New Yorkers to stay home Thursday morning
MANHATTAN , NEW YORK CITY: More snow fell in one day in New York City Wednesday than the whole of last winter
MANHATTAN , NEW YORK CITY: New Yorkers dress up warm and enjoy the snow, building a snowman on the sidewalk in Lower Manhattan Thursday
MANHATTAN , NEW YORK CITY: New York apartments are blanketed in the first snow of the 2020 season
A spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police said the agency had responded to about 200 calls about collisions by 3pm.
Over in Massachusetts, snow plows grappled to keep pace with the level of snowfall Thursday morning with two to four inches an hour at times across the state.
Emergency services responded to more than 100 road traffic accidents through the night, and the National Grid was called out to respond to a site in Auburn where a utility pole snapped after a car slammed into it.
Auburn police issued an alert warning residents that Millbury Street at the Farmer's Daughter was closed at around 12:30 a.m. and released a picture of the car wrapped around the pole.
Over on Route 44 in Carver, another car burst into flames in the aftermath of another crash Wednesday night, with firefighters responding to the scene.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker told WCVB Thursday about 4,000 residents had been left without power but most outages had been fixed by around midday.
'If you have to go out, be careful. And remember, driving in this kind of stuff isn't something we've had to do for the last couple of years,' he said.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: NYC Transit crews are seen shoveling the snow from sidwalks Thursday morning
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: A snow plow and FDNY crews clear the road in Brooklyn after New York City was it by more snow in a day than the whole of the last season
New Hampshire State Police said they had been called out to over 120 crashes and disabled vehicles by 9 a.m., including one incident where a driver plowed into a utility pole along the Interstate 89 northbound around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
In New Jersey, state police had responded to more than 200 crashes by 8 a.m. Thursday.
As well as New York, snowfall records were also smashed in parts of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service in State College, Pennsylvania, recorded 24.7 inches of snow at Williamsport Regional Airport.
This broke the previous record set for the most snow from a single storm when more than half a century ago a single storm dumped 24.1 inches on the site in January 1964.
By early Thursday, Boston had already beaten its own record for the most snow ever seen on December 17.
A total of 9.1 inches of snow had fallen since midnight Wednesday, smashing 2013's record of 6.4 inches with many more hours of snowfall yet to go.
Meanwhile, more than 57,200 homes and businesses in Virginia were left without power Wednesday night, per poweroutage.us, along with another 13,000 in New Jersey.
By Wednesday evening, more than 60 million people were placed under weather warnings.
There were warnings in place from northern Georgia to New England, with forecasters predicting snow, ice, school closures and power outages across the country.
Then, just as quickly as it arrived, the snowstorm exited the likes of New York and barreled further onward into parts of New England.
Storm Gail, which is the first major snowstorm of the season, was expected to pass through the East Coast and move out to sea by the end of Thursday.
Most hard-hit areas will see improved weather conditions Thursday afternoon, except the coastal area of New England where snow and strong winds will continue into late afternoon, forecasters said.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETTS: A man shovels snow from the front of his car Thursday morning
The National Weather Service predicted the heaviest snowfall across central Pennsylvania, which could see up to two feet of snow in total.
'This will likely lead to very dangerous, if not impossible, travel conditions and isolated power outages', the agency added.
The National Weather Service said Wednesday: 'Between the snow in the north and the rain in the south, a wintry mix is forecast to stretch across the southern Appalachians and the interior Mid-Atlantic roughly along the I-95 corridor.
'Freezing rain is the main concern across this region, as upwards of a quarter inch of ice accretion is possible. This could lead to scattered tree damage and power outages.
'As the precipitation shield advances north throughout the day, heavy snow will overtake areas northwest of I-95 in the Mid-Atlantic. This means major cities, such as Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, will likely see a wintry mix and potentially plain rain for areas just to the southeast.
'Further north and east, heavy snow will also encroach upon much of the Northeast and southern New England this evening, including New York City and Boston.'
More than 1,300 flights were canceled in anticipation and train operator Amtrak was forced to modify its service.
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York canceled 79 flights Thursday morning while 123 were canceled at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
American Airlines said it had canceled 89 of its flights across the northeastern states and Delta 230 although the airlines expected normal service to resume not long after midday Thursday.
Several airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and United, said they were waiving change fees for flights that might be affected as well.
The travel disruptions threatened to throw a wrench in efforts to distribute America's first COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, which began on Sunday.
But Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday said he was confident that the companies transporting vaccine shipments would be able to navigate the storm. He added that the government was tracking shipments precisely and had staffers in place to receive them.
'This is FedEx, this is UPS express shipping. They know how to deal with snow and bad weather. But we are on it and following it,' Azar told Fox & Friends.
And despite increasingly treacherous road conditions COVID-19 vaccine shippers said they would not let Winter Storm Gal affect distribution - but that they have made additional plans in case it does.
A FedEx spokesperson told CNN: 'We have a team of 15 meteorologists monitoring conditions 24/7, and we have contingency plans in place should we see any severe weather.' Operation Warp Speed's Gen Gustave Perna confirmed a 'safety stock' of doses should the bad weather cause problems.
UPS said in a statement: 'We develop contingency plans based on weather forecasts and local conditions, enabling our employees to safely deliver what matters most.'
Some hospitals said they were anticipating delays in shipments as the roads worsened through Wednesday night.
A spokesman for St Luke's University Health Network, which has 12 hospitals across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, said Wednesday they were fearful that its first vaccine shipment due Thursday could be delayed.
But the hospital received the delivery as planned Thursday, tweeting around midday: 'IT'S HERE! Our shipment of COVID-19 vaccine has arrived and we’re ready for this pivotal moment in our fight against the pandemic. Front line health care workers will be vaccinated starting today. Follow us for updates throughout the day!'
Healthcare workers at the hospital started getting their jabs right away.
New York Governor Cuomo had said the storm would not disrupt New York's vaccine shipments because it already received its first shipment and the second isn't due to arrive until next week.
The weather conditions had also prompted several major cities, including New York, Baltimore and Hartford to suspend COVID-19 testing until further notice, while hospitals around the region, already struggling with surges in virus patients, pushed back elective surgeries to make room for storm-related admissions.
Testing centers at New York City hospitals were closed from 2pm Wednesday, while Rhode Island also suspended all testing.
In Pennsylvania, Gov Tom Wolf signed the disaster emergency proclamation on Tuesday to free up funding for the state's response ahead of Gail striking the state.
'This proclamation makes it easier for all of those involved in vaccine delivery and keeping people safe to do their jobs,' Wolf said.
New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy also declared a state of emergency effective 2pm Wednesday as the state prepared to restrict commercial traffic from some highways because of the storm.
Murphy said his administration would exempt trucks transporting vaccines from travel restrictions, as the state's hospitals are expected to receive 35 deliveries over the next two days.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: A New Yorker pushes a plow along the sidewalk to clear the wallkways
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Lower Manhattan is blanketed in morning snow as New Yorkers endure a major winter storm
MEDFORD, MASSACHUSSETTS: As much as 15 inches of snow was predicted before the end of the storm near Boston with heavy snowfall expected throughout the day on Thursday
'Our theme today ought to be: 'If it's not one thing, it's another,'' Murphy said as he gave residents storm guidance that's new this year — mask up if you help your neighbors shovel.
Massachusetts Governor Baker likewise raised the alarm Wednesday as Boston braced for up to a foot of snow.
'If you absolutely don't have to travel tonight or tomorrow, it would be great if you could just stay put and let the road crews do the work that they need to do,' he said.
'The last thing we all need to deal with right now, in the midst of everything else that's going on, are car accidents and other collisions as a result of what will be fairly treacherous driving conditions.'
The New York City Emergency Management Department brought in 330,000 tons of salt and 2,000 vehicles to plow the streets in anticipation of 'heavy snow and breezing conditions could cause near-blizzard conditions'.
Washington, DC, also deployed more than 300 snow plows to apply salt to highways, streets, ramps, bridges and elevated roadways overnight Tuesday as forecasters predicted Gail would bring a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
The capital region was placed under a winter weather advisory and a flood watch on Wednesday.
First daughter Ivanka Trump took to Twitter to share a video of snow falling around the White House this afternoon.
'First snowfall of the season,' she wrote with a snowflake emoji.
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A tractor with a power brush clears snow from Times Square Thursday morning
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: A woman braves the record levels of snow in the city as she heads out Thursday morning
WILKES BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA: A woman carries a suitcase to her car during heavy snowfall Thursday morning
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: The clear up operation begins around Columbus Circle and the Upper East Side
CARVER, MASSACHUSSETTS: Carver firefighters respond to car fire on Route 44 at the onset of the storm. The fire was a result of a motor vehicle crash
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