Bad day / week for travel to NE US

Well, the authorities seem to be taking it pretty seriously here in NYC.

Public transport stopping at 11, and also a ban on non-emergency vehicles from 11.

You know it's really serious because all Broadway shows have been cancelled!

I saw that NYLON, but I thought Broadway didn't really play that many shows on a Monday? Kinda like saying it's snowing in London on a Thursday and NO premiership football matches will take place! I'm sure the shows have been cancelled but its hardly the "big story" some of the news agencies are making it out to be. What's it actually like there?

I'd love to be in NYC or boston right now

And me, only been in NYC once during heavy snow (Feb 2010), I still have fond memories & many lovely pics of that visit, Central Park covered in deep snow was spectacular.

Also enjoyed sitting in JFK clubhouse quaffing bubbly while we watched aircrafts being de-iced prior to our flight home.

oldboy

True, Mr G.!

That said, the bigger shows play Monday: Chicago, Mamma Mia!, Phantom etc., plus the Met Opera, Lincoln Center shows, and most off-Broadway shows.

In NYC because trash collection is halted during a severe snow storm, the city re-purposes the dustbin vans as snow plows, which are out now. They only come out once the snow has fallen, settled and reached over two inches on the roads.

The main thing is that the wind is making it extremely cold - I'd say a windchill of around -11C, set to go down to -20C later in the week.

I think US TV always overplays the weather, which then gets picked up internationally. Right now it's fine (just cold). I've been out a couple of times; I suspect I'll be able to walk out later, get a meal, get a drink and come home without any issues (assuming I don't drink too much)!

But the sad thing about NYC is that it very much depends on where you live in the five boroughs. Once the city deals with its main arteries, it does not treat all residential areas equally.

I'm in Manhattan on the Upper West Side, so near some important roads they like to keep clear: West Side Highway & Broadway. Traditionally we get plowed early and regularly, which makes everything - all amenities, stores, transport - basically run normally. But if you're in a more remote part of Brooklyn or Queens, for example, you can really be genuinely stuck for a few days.

Putting into context, I'd say the power outage in Pakistan is significantly worse than anything happening here. That said, there most likely will be a power outage in NYC somewhere, but many buildings (including mine) have generators now.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, we're on course for 0 rainfall in January....which is typically out wettest month, we're all doomed I tell ye....

I'm in Miami & hotels all around the airport are full due to numerous cancelled flights.

Hope everyone is ok.

R-P

Well... I'm just back from the bar. They say they'll be open tomorrow.

Right now the weather is actually quite mild. Hardly snowing, and it's warmed up slightly. The authorities say the worst is yet to come. We'll have to wait and see.

Manhattan is extremely quiet as there are basically no vehicles on the street and they've shut all the bridges and tunnels: a good reminder it's an island!

The biggest thing is that taxis are caught up in the non-emergency vehicle ban. Together with the shutting down of the subway and buses, that really does force people to stay home & has completely emptied the streets. Very strange...

Looks like the crew and pax have had a total nightmare on the VS4 which is still yet to depart JFK.

Very detailed information from VS about what has happened on the website. Delayed de-icing, then once they finally taxied had to return to the gate due to a medical emergency onboard.

Currently awaiting further de-icing which is now being hampered by heavier snowfall.

Best wishes to the passenger and fingers crossed everyone gets away very soon.


What an evening for that to happen....

Looks like the crew and pax have had a total nightmare on the VS4 which is still yet to depart JFK.

Very detailed information from VS about what has happened on the website. Delayed de-icing, then once they finally taxied had to return to the gate due to a medical emergency onboard.

Currently awaiting further de-icing which is now being hampered by heavier snowfall.

Best wishes to the passenger and fingers crossed everyone gets away very soon.


What an evening for that to happen....

And now delayed 24 hrs, very frustrating for crew and pax.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, we're on course for 0 rainfall in January....which is typically out wettest month, we're all doomed I tell ye....

You're not wrong there Simon, here is a picture taken on Sunday of Lake Tahoe where it feeds the Truckee River at Tahoe City, if the lack of Sierra Snow continues I think CA will have very dry Summer.

Just managed to check in for DL62 - but that means nothing as yesterday I was checked in for DL2 and then VS011 but both were subsequently cancelled. Must be in Boston for midday tomorrow otherwise lots of pain and gnashing of teeth at business!!

I just went for a walk. It's certainly nowhere near the worst snow I've seen in NYC. Central Park looking quite beautiful. On the roads, already the pristine white snow is turning to brown sludge...

Headline in DM...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -down.html

"Night of hell" seems a bit OTT.

Out of interest: with this kind of thing, are all pax treated equally, or are UC pax sneaked out to the CH?

[Darren Wheeler]

I see the usual cry of "no-one giving us information...". Maybe, just maybe that's because no-one knows anything other than it's snowing.

Hardly the 'Spirit of The Blitz'.

Also, with the best planning in the world nobody would have guessed the Mayor's office would announce an 11 p.m. vehicle ban (pretty much unheard of), which was made relatively late (around 1 p.m. yesterday).

By the time it became clear they were going to deplane everyone, relief crew/support staff would not have been able to come to the airport, for example; pax with local friends/relatives would not have been able to be collected; pax wanting a hotel for the night would not have been able to physically get to one as there is no on-site hotel at JFK.

"Night of hell" seems a bit OTT.

Out of interest: with this kind of thing, are all pax treated equally, or are UC pax sneaked out to the CH?

In all likeliness the lounge would have been closed by midnight, so unless one of the cabin crew had a key, it was probably every man for himself. What if the opposite were true though, you can imagine a lot of upset people at the door of the clubhouse wondering if they could gain access so they could empty the bar and to lie on the bobbly sofa! Must have been pretty horrid either way, and I guess many of the passengers are still at the airport now.

On Sunday night they closed the JFK CH at 9pm and we were all asked to leave

[Darren Wheeler]

On Sunday night they closed the JFK CH at 9pm and we were all asked to leave

Probably because of the midnight travel ban. Sometimes it gets forgotten that the staff often travel in by public transport and they want to get home safely too.

I'm about 15 miles west of Boston in one of the "hotspots" where the snow is supposedly the worst. We'd had just under 2 feet of snow by the time I went out with the snow blower this morning at 10am, and it was higher in parts of the garden/driveway where it had drifted. This much snow and using a snow blower is still a novelty for a UK expat family though!