Travel Big Concern as Storm Slams Northeast, South
Winter weather is continuing to challenge the Northeast and South on Wednesday.
In Boston, where close to eight feet of snow has already fallen this winter, forecasters say more will hit today and Thursday and another storm is possible this weekend.
For many, the main concern is transportation.
Transit officials warn that the system won't run normally for at least a month. Snow and ice have hampered the MBTA, an independent transit agency, for weeks. Commuter, subway, and even Amtrak train riders have suffered long delays and cancellations.
People unable to use these systems have then jammed what are normally already traffic-clogged highways.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he's working closely with the MTBA to address the issues.
"There's some stones that need to be flipped over and looked at," one Baker adviser told the Boston Herald.
State officials are also warning about the potential for roofs to collapse under the weight of all the snow that's fallen.
In much of the South, this week's storm dumped up to a foot of snow in some places and has left temperatures in the teens. Hazardous roads are expected over the next few days as snow and ice freeze and re-freeze.
Georgia, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina are also reporting widespread power outages.
Meanwhile, the Northwest is experiencing record-breaking warm temperatures this week. Meteorologists recorded record highs on Monday and Tuesday in Washington and Oregon. Sea-Tac Airport reported 63 degrees on Tuesday and McMinnville, Oregon, reported 66 degrees.
Forecasters say a high pressure ridge is responsible for the summer-like weather.
"Typically, when there is a big ridge over the West Coast it happens when there is a big trough over the East Coast," Kirby Cook, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, explained. So when they get their bad weather often we get the good weather."
