BOSTON Mon Feb 9, 2015 3:01pm GMT
A massive snowstorm that parked itself over the northeastern United States on Monday was forecast to drop up to two feet (60 cm) of snow over a region that has been repeatedly pounded over the past two weeks, closing schools and snarling travel.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker asked residents of the state to avoid traveling, Boston's mass-transit system was operating on a limited scheduled and a majority of flights at Boston's Logan International Airport had been canceled by early Monday morning.
But many commuters tried to carry on with their daily lives, unwilling to take what for some would be a sixth or seventh snow day of the winter.
"It's irritating, but I've decided if I'm going to get to work, I have to deal with it," said Gabby Whitaker, 24, as she waited for a bus to take her to her sales job near Boston. "I just have to get through it."
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, whose aging trains have been hard-hit by the heavy snow and piercing cold over the past week, warned that it was operating with reduced service on Monday.
"I am disappointed to hear that the MBTA and commuter rail are currently struggling to provide service due to weather conditions," Baker said. "The MBTA's condition and performance is concerning, reinforcing the need for riders to stay at home."
Winter storm warnings were in place from central New York State, through northern Connecticut, Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
More than one foot (30 cm) of snow had fallen on Boston since the storm began early Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, which warned that the snow would likely continue into Tuesday morning.
As of 7 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Monday, Boston had received about 66 inches (1.7 meters) of snow this winter, the vast majority in the past two weeks, putting the winter of 2015 on pace to stand among the 10 snowiest recorded winters in the city's history, officials said.
"We don't have that far to go to get into one of the top ten snowiest winters," said National Weather Service meteorologist Nicole Belk.
Boston received about 73 inches (1.9 meters) of snow in its 10th snowiest winter on record, the winter of 1919-1920. The all-time record seasonal snowfall, nearly 108 inches (2.7 meters) of snow, was set in the winter of 1995-1996, according to the NWS.
Snowy conditions contributed to more than 1,500 flight cancellations around the United States on Monday, with the largest number of cancellations reported in Boston and at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
With state offices closed, the storm delayed proceedings in two major criminal trials. Jury selection for the upcoming trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was canceled for Monday and the first murder trial of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez was suspended for the day.
A winter weather advisory was issued for the New York area, with 4 to 8 inches of snow (10 to 20 cm) and a quarter inch (0.6 cm) of ice possible through Tuesday morning, the weather service said.
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, Massachusetts Institute of Technology student Jad David, said he didn't mind the storm.
"Everything is normal now even through there is snow," said David, 24, as he commuted to school. "I got used to it."