A strong winter storm has left the northeastern U.S. covered in heavy thick wet snow, just one day after much of the region enjoyed temperatures in the low 20s Celsius (low 60s Fahrenheit).
New Yorkers swapped golf clubs, tennis shoes and jogging shorts for snow shovels, boots and overcoats with about 35 centimeters (over 12 inches) of snow falling on the city Thursday.
Schools were closed and non-essential city workers from Philadelphia to Boston and into Maine were told to stay home, keep off the roads, and let crews shovel and plow.
Some areas reported “thunder snow,” when thunder and lightning are seen and heard during a blizzard.
About 3,500 flights along the Eastern Seaboard were canceled, and traffic along major highways was shut down because of accidents and hazardous driving conditions.
Thursday's storm was the biggest winter storm of the season, after what had generally been a very mild winter so far in the Northeast.
