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Steve Celano / Vimeo
THEY’RE CALLING IT the ‘Battle of Mt. Vernon‘. After a record 29.2 inches of snow fell in Baltimore, more than 600 people turned up to a mass snowball fight yesterday.
The snow battle came about after local man Aaron Brazell created the event on Facebook and started inviting people.
“I knew people would be cooped up in their houses and wanting to come outside,” Brazell said, as he was hit by multiple blasts of perfectly soft but firm snow.
The weekend timing could not have been better, enabling many to enjoy a gorgeous winter day.
But this morning, after a weekend sledding, snowboarding and staying put, the blizzard-blanketed the eastern US will return to the commute slowed by slick roads, damaged transit lines and endless mounds of snow.
Authorities cautioned against unnecessary driving, airline schedules were in disarray and commuter trains will be delayed or cancelled for many as the work week begins after a storm that dumped near record snows on the densely populated areas
The last flakes fell just before midnight on Saturday, but crews raced the clock all day Sunday to clear streets and sidewalks devoid of their usual bustle.
Ice chunks plunging from the roofs of tall buildings menaced people who ventured out in Philadelphia and New York.
Yesterday’s brilliant sunshine and gently rising temperatures provided a respite from the blizzard that paralysed Washington.
In New York, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said yesterday evening that almost all mass transit services will be running in time for the morning rush hour, including nearly 80% of the Long Island Rail Road.
Broadway reopened after going dark at the last minute during the snowstorm, but museums remained closed in Washington, and the House of Representatives postponed votes until February, citing the storm’s impact on travel.
Flying remained particularly messy after nearly 12,000 weekend flights were cancelled.
Airports resumed limited service in New York City, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, which said it got an entire winter’s snow in two days. Washington-area airports remained closed yesterday after the punishing blizzard.
Major airlines also cancelled hundreds of flights for today and people flying to or from the US eastern seaboard are being asked to check their flight status with their airline.
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy
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