Rare snow alignment blankets US Northeast corridor

A sweeping winter storm delivered an unusual alignment of heavy snowfall across five of the largest metropolitan areas on the US East Coast, marking a weather milestone highlighted by meteorologist Andrew Markowitz, known online as “Snowstradamus”. Writing on X, Markowitz said the storm marked the first instance in 3,655 days in which Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC each recorded at least six inches of snow during the same event, a span of just over a decade.

The storm tracked along a classic nor’easter pathway, drawing moist Atlantic air into a cold continental system that had settled over the region earlier in the week. Forecasters had flagged the potential for widespread accumulation days ahead, but the uniformity of snowfall totals across such a densely populated corridor stood out even by winter standards. Official measurements from municipal weather stations showed totals exceeding the six-inch threshold in all five cities, with some suburbs reporting higher accumulations where banding intensified.

Boston logged snowfall that disrupted commuter rail services and forced the temporary closure of Logan International Airport runways for clearing operations. New York City recorded accumulations sufficient to trigger alternate-side parking rules and school schedule changes, while Philadelphia and Baltimore both activated emergency snow plans that prioritised arterial roads and public transport routes. In Washington, DC, federal offices shifted to flexible work arrangements as ploughs and salt trucks worked through the night.

Meteorologists noted that such synchronised snowfall is uncommon because coastal storms often favour one section of the Northeast over another. Small shifts in storm track can mean rain in one city and heavy snow in another. In this case, the thermal profile remained cold enough along the entire corridor to sustain snow rather than sleet or freezing rain, while precipitation rates stayed high for several hours.

Markowitz’s reference to 3,655 days underscores how rare the alignment has been in the era of modern record-keeping and urban warming. Large cities along the I-95 corridor have, on average, seen declining seasonal snowfall totals over recent decades, a trend widely linked by climate scientists to rising baseline temperatures. While individual storms can still deliver heavy snow, the odds of multiple cities simultaneously reaching high thresholds have narrowed.

Climatologists caution against drawing sweeping conclusions from a single event, but say the episode illustrates how variability is increasing even as long-term averages shift. Warmer oceans can supply more moisture to winter systems, potentially amplifying snowfall when temperatures remain below freezing. At the same time, marginal warmth can flip precipitation to rain with little notice, making outcomes harder to predict for emergency planners.

City officials across the corridor said response measures benefited from early warnings and improved coordination. Transportation departments reported fewer stranded vehicles than during comparable storms earlier in the decade, attributing this to staggered travel advisories and pre-treatment of roads. Power utilities reported scattered outages caused by snow-laden tree limbs, but widespread failures were avoided because wind speeds remained moderate.

The storm also had economic ripple effects. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights along the East Coast, disrupting travel schedules nationwide. Retail foot traffic dipped sharply during the height of the snowfall, though grocery and hardware stores saw a surge in demand for essentials, shovels and ice melt beforehand. Municipal budgets are expected to absorb additional snow-removal costs, particularly in cities where overtime was required to keep transit systems running.