A massive “bomb cyclone” nor’easter whalloped the East Coast on Monday. It snarled travel, knocked out power, and dumped more than two feet of snow across a wide swath of New England. Over 571,000 homes were without power and 9,000 flights were canceled as of midday Monday. Governors in the affected states issued travel bans for all non-essential personnel, and 44 million people were placed under blizzard warnings. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared the city’s first official snow day since 2019. “No online school, no remote learning, full classic snow day,” Mamdani told a student in a televised video call. “My only ask to you is that you just stay safe, stay indoors during the height of the storm. Once that has passed, feel free to go out and sled.” Winter Storm Calvin arrived Sunday night and battered cities and towns from New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Maine with heavy snowfall and wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour. The storm achieved “bomb cyclone” status after its central pressure dropped precipitously in less than 24 hours. That drop in pressure intensified the storm’s spin, allowing it to draw in more moisture and produce stronger winds. At the height of the blizzard, it dropped more than three inches of snow per hour. Ahead of the storm, Mayor Mamdani offered to pay New York residents willing to shovel. Ernes Salic was among those who answered that call. He began Sunday evening and quit at 4pm Monday. He worked for nearly 20 hours straight. “In the beginning we had a grasp on it, we were hopeful,” Salic told The New York Times. “Now it looks like we didn’t do anything at all.” Reflect: What role do you think you would play in your community during an emergency or difficult situation? Photo of winter storm hitting New Jersey from Reuters.
