A rare, early season nor'easter pummeled the United States from the mid-Atlantic to New England with heavy, wet snow Saturday into Sunday. The storm knocked out power to millions, snarled travel across the region and was responsible for at least 3 deaths.
With trees still full of leaves, the snow brought down tree branches and power lines sending large parts of the Northeast into darkness. As many as 3 million people were without power as power crews struggled to keep up with the outages.
Power companies were bringing in crews from outside the region to help restore power but given the immensity of the task, residents were warned they could be without for quite a while.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy warned, "If you are without power, you should expect to be without power for a prolonged period of time."
Hardest hit were portions of eastern Massachusetts and Connecticut as well as southern New Hampshire. Snow totals in those areas approached two feet.
Snow fell over a large area stretching from Maryland and Washington DC into southern Maine. Snowfall records were being set across the region unaccustomed to snowfall this early in the season.
Three deaths have been blamed on the unusual storm.
In Hebron, Connecticut, one motorist died according to state emergency officials.
An 84-year-old man in Temple, Pennsylvania died when a large tree branch crashed through his roof as he sat in his recliner. Rescue workers took hours to remove the man from the rubble.
In Springfield, Massachusetts, a man was electrocuted when he disregarded police barricades and touched a guard rail that had been electrified by a downed power line.
Snowfall totals were extraordinary and akin to what one would expect to see in the Rocky Mountains this time of year. Bristol, Connecticut recorded 17 inches, Plainfield, Massachusetts 27.8 inches, Hillsboro, New Hampshire saw 21.5 inches, and West Milford, New Jersey recorded 19 inches.
In New York City, Occupy Wall Street protestors were undeterred by the rain and snow. New York City's Central Park recorded 2.9 inches making it the snowiest October on record there. It was only the fourth time in 135 years that snow has been recorded in October in the park.
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Road travel throughout the area was hazardous and difficult as the snow accumulated on roadways. Road crews struggled against the fast falling snow and were unprepared for such an early season storm.
Air travelers were left stranded an numerous airports as flights were delayed and cancelled. Hundreds slept on cots at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut. New Jersey's Newark International Airport closed Saturday afternoon. The FAA reported significant delays at New York's John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.
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