Winter Storm Juno

A blizzard leaves areas of the northeast buried in snow

Jan 28, 2015 | By Cameron Keady with AP reporting
STAN GROSSFELD—THE BOSTON GLOBE/GETTY IMAGES

A resident of Quincy, MA stands on top of a giant pile of snow on January 26, 2015.

Do you want to build a snowman? Just ask the New Englanders slammed by Winter Storm Juno.

On January 26, millions of people along the East Coast prepared for a blizzard that was predicted to be one of the worst they’d ever experienced. The National Weather Service said the nor’easter would bring heavy snow, powerful winds and coastal flooding starting Monday and through Tuesday. A blizzard warning was issued for a 250-mile stretch of the Northeast, including New York City and Boston.

For some of these cities and towns, the predictions were accurate. For others, the storm failed to meet expectations.

Snow plows drive down Rt. 302 in North Windham, ME. The northern Maine town received about a foot and a half of snow.
JOHN PATRIQUIN—PORTLAND PRESS HERALD/GETTY IMAGES
Snow plows drive down Rt. 302 in North Windham, ME. The northern Maine town received about a foot and a half of snow.

Preparing for a Super Storm

By early afternoon on Monday, January 26, city and town officials throughout the Northeast issued advisories to prepare residents for the bad weather. Many schools were canceled for Tuesday, and in some cities, public transportation stopped entirely. For the first time in 110 years, the New York City subway system was shut down in advance of the storm. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio encouraged New Yorkers to go home and stay there, saying "People have to make smart decisions from this point on."

More than 7,700 flights in and out of the Northeast were canceled, and many of them did not take off again until early this morning. Government offices around the Northeast closed, and many businesses let out early. People flooded grocery stores and supermarkets to stock up for the storm. "We're used to these big snowstorms in New England, but two to three feet all at once and 50 to 60 mph winds? That's a different story," said Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts resident Ben Shickel.

Juno’s Aftermath

Providence, Rhode Island, got 17 inches of snow. Portland, Maine received 16 inches and 33 inches fell in parts of Northestern Connecticut.  Long Island in New York State got about two feet.

Scituate, a town on the north shore of Massachusetts, was flooded after Juno hit.
JONATHAN WIGGS—THE BOSTON GLOBE/GETTY IMAGES
Scituate, a town on the north shore of Massachusetts, was flooded after Juno hit.

Eastern Massachusetts was among the hardest hit. With winds exceeding 70 mph, Juno buried the Boston area in more than two feet of snow. The low in Boston on January 28 was expected to be 10 degrees, with a wind chill of minus 5. Forecasters warned that it won’t get above freezing for a week.

Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey had been warned they could get one to two feet of snow, buy New York City received just under 10 inches and Philadelphia got just an inch or so. Parts of New Jersey had up to 10 inches of snow. By Tuesday morning, public transportation in these places was up and running, and driving bans had been lifted. Though the storm was predicted as “potentially historic,” these cities were spared Juno’s wrath.

Though Juno has passed, the Northeast is not expected to have temperatures above freezing for the next couple weeks. Bundle up!