Holiday shoppers brave the elements – for the most part
Travel in the U.S. Northeast began to
return to normal today as the area dug out from the season’s
first major winter storm that dumped as much as 3 feet of snow over the weekend before moving offshore.
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The storm left 11.9 inches of snow on Boston Saturday,
matching a 22-year-old record. Providence and
Hartford, Conn., also had record snowfalls. Trees and power
lines were downed by strong winds during the storm, and coastal
roads were flooded in blizzard conditions.
The snowstorm, which buried communities from Virginia to
Maine, thwarted some holiday shopping and forced the cancellation
of weekend events ranging from college entrance exams to play
performances. Airports canceled hundreds of flights and weather
made some roads deadly. At least 10 people died because of the
storm, mostly because of hazardous roads, the Associated Press
reported.
Philadelphia reported a 10-inch accumulation, and New York’s
Central Park measured 13 inches, according to the National
Weather Service. As much as 50 inches fell in some parts of New
Hampshire and Maine.
Boston’s Logan International Airport was closed for more
than 12 hours, stranding hundreds of travelers. The airport
reported delays of as much as two hours today as a result of
lingering snow. New York City-area airports had hundreds of
travelers who were forced to spend the night in terminals.
Amtrak reported minimal delays over much of the weekend
until Sunday morning, when 3 feet of snow shut down one of its
railyards outside Boston. That had a cascading effect throughout
the Northeast and led to delays as much as two hours. Today there
are minimal delays.
The snowfall made it difficult for some shoppers to make
their holiday rounds.
Taubman Centers Inc., a real estate company with 31 shopping
centers across the United States, said the snow affected five of its
malls. One in Stamford, Conn., closed early on Friday and
Saturday. Business picked up in the afternoon on Saturday and
Sunday as the storms passed.
“Most of them said that there was some effect on business,
but the stores felt that it’s early enough in the season to make
up for any postponed sales,” said Karen MacDonald, a Taubman
spokeswoman.
The giant mall in King of Prussia, Pa., filled with
shoppers later than usual because of the treacherous roads but
reported brisk business once shoppers arrived.
Bloomberg News
