Storm sparks ‘Snow Day Makeouts’

Salt trucks are on standby as New York City gets ready for a potentially historic blizzard that could dump up to 3 feet of snow in the Northeast. Linda So reports.

Blizzard ... commuters wait for a bus during a winter snowstorm on January 21 in Philadelphia. Picture: AP Photo/Matt Rourke Source: Supplied

AS MILLIONS brace for hurricane-force winds and the worst snowstorm to hit northeast US, some savvy love seekers are using the blizzard as an opportunity to find some sexy hook-ups.

Faced with the prospect of being locked inside for days, forward-thinking residents are flocking to Craiglist to find someone who will share their cold and lonely bed.

From cuddling to making out — and other NSFW requests — New Yorkers and other east coast dwellers are reaching out.

One 26-year-old man writes: "As we sit on the brink of a major snowstorm and prepare for a nearly shutdown NYC, I'm seeking a single 20- or 30-something female who shares my excitement for snow days and wants to create the semi-romantic, mildly productive yet equally fun adult version".

Others want a little more than just "adult" fun. Thirty-six year old "Snow schmoe", from Brooklyn, asks if anyone "wants to do brunch" — but only if they are willing to be "long-term potential".

Silence ... New York City prepares for lockdown head of major blizzard. Source: AFP

New York becomes a ghost town

Meanwhile, services have shut down across affected states, including the New York subway.

All subway, bus and commuter rail services on Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road were suspended from 11pm local time, the first time the subway system has ever been closed due to snow, Reuters reported.

Although open before 11pm, services — including the subway- will be limited, officials said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a travel ban for all but emergency vehicles on every road in 13 counties in southern New York State, including New York City, suburban Westchester and Long Island

He warned that violators would be hit with a $300 fine.

"If you are in your car and you are on any road, town, village, city, it doesn't matter, after 11 o'clock, you will technically be committing a crime," Mr Cuomo said.

"It could be a matter of life and death so caution is required."

Deserted ... The normally bustling Times Square is looking empty as residents brace for a major winter storm. Source: AFP

The warnings come as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts prepare for lockdown, with New England also told to prepare for a potentially deadly blizzard.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is warning more than 50 million people to "prepare for something worse than we have ever seen before", urging residents to snap up supplies and burrow at home until the danger passes.

"Don't underestimate this storm," Mr de Blasio warned.

State officials from the four states are gradually rolling out plans to manage what is looking to be "one of the largest blizzards in the history of New York City," Mr de Blasio said.

Blizzard shuts down New York

With deserted train stations and eerily empty streets, winter storm Juno has emptied New York, the "city that never sleeps".

The mad rush of workers pouring out of offices and onto subway platforms, cramming into trains, buses and cars has halted, leaving behind an eerie ghost town which would not look out of place in a post-apocalyptic film.

Samantha Soh, an Australian accountant living in New York, said the mad rush of the afternoon has given way to the "occasional plough".

"The streets are empty," she told News Corp Australia.

"The warnings have never been this serious before ... everyone's taking it pretty seriously."

Eerie ... Union Square, Manhattan, during Winter Storm Juno. Picture: Samantha Soh, Facebook Source: Facebook

Ghost town ... Union Square, New York, completely empty during the blizzard. Picture: Samantha Soh, Facebook Source: Facebook

Joseph Burke, a lawyer who lives in the suburbs, was waiting in the frigid lobby of Grand Central Terminal.

The station is one of the hubs of public transport in New York, but on Monday evening — the usually frantic rush hour — the famous terminal was nearly dead.

"Usually I go back home about 6 to 6.30pm, but today I'm leaving a couple of hours earlier," said Burke, seemingly one of the few left in the mad dash to avoid the worst Mother Nature could hurl at the Big Apple.

The arrival of the mega snowstorm was billed by authorities in New York as one of the most severe ever seen.

At Union Square, in the heart of usually bustling Manhattan, the vast underground station was empty — as was the above-ground park, which was closed at 6pm local time until further notice.

In addition to disrupting the lives of New Yorkers, the rapid snowfall and plunging temperatures of minus 2C shook up the plans of tourists in the city.

Blizzard ... A woman heads to a subway station in New York's Times Square during one of the city's worst-ever snow storms. Source: AFP

Sightseeing hot spots such as the Brooklyn Bridge, usually thronging with camera-wielding visitors and locals, were devoid of people.

Out of bounds ... People in affected states urged to stay away from parks to avoid falling branches during the blizzard, while New York City goes further and closes all parks until further notice. Source: AP

A plough clears Church Square Park as snow falls during the start of a heavy winter storm January 26, 2015 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Source: AFP

Snow, which was already falling across the region, is expected to accumulate steadily throughout the day before turning into a major storm expected to paralyse parts of New York and New England.

Juno has some bite ... people cross a city street in New York as the 'one of the largest snowstorms in the history in this city' begins to take hold. Picture: AFP PHOTO/JEWEL SAMAD Source: AFP

The blizzard, dubbed Winter Storm Juno, is on track to dump up to 90cm of snow in some areas.

The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings from New Jersey to the Canadian border, including New York and Boston.

That area encompasses about 29 million people, yet CNN reports that figure could be as high as 58 million.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said the National Guard was on standby in the Big Apple and Long Island.

Flight cancellations

More than 6000 flights have been cancelled within, to or from the United States on Monday and Tuesday, according to flightaware.com.

Officials said 50 per cent of flights at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport had been cancelled by Monday afternoon local time, but said JFK and the city's LaGuardia airport would remain open for emergency flights.

Boston's Logan international airport will see no flights from Monday evening until Wednesday afternoon, reports said.

Some airlines have waived change fees as major delays and widespread cancellations were anticipated.

Emirates and Etihad airlines have also announced cancellations, adding to the tally.

Ice ... a crew member de-ices a Frontier Airlines plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Picture: Seth Wenig Source: AP

Impact ... airlines cancelled thousands of flights into and out of East Coast airports as a major snowstorm packing up to three feet of snow barrels down on the region. Picture: Seth Wenig Source: AP

Snow falls ... supermarkets reported empty shelves as New Yorkers prepared for a snowstorm that some said could last for 72 hours. Picture: Andrew Burton/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP

Bringing home supplies ... a shopper heads home. Officials have urged residents to stay home as they prepare for Winter Storm Juno. Source: AFP

Mr Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie compared preparations for Juno with those for Super-Storm Sandy in October 2012, which killed more than 200 people, affected 650,000 houses and caused months-long power cuts.

Power outages and falling trees are likely during the storm and in its aftermath, meteorologists warned.

Record snowfall in the city of New York was 26.9 inches (68 centimetres) that accumulated after a 16-hour storm in February 2006.

Mr Christie, a potential Republican candidate for the White House in 2016, said state offices would be closed for non-essential staff and warned that transit systems were unlikely to work on Tuesday.

"We've had Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy. For better or for worse, we know how to deal with these situations," he said.

Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy issued a travel ban for the entire state beginning at 9:00pm on Monday (1am Tuesday AEDT).

Stocking up

The heaviest snow is likely to be in New England. Thunder and lightning could also accompany the heavy snow, meteorologists said.

Gusts of wind are forecast to reach up to 55 miles (about 90 kilometres) per hour and more than 70mph (112km) in eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.

Coastal flooding is also a risk in the early hours of Tuesday, with tides in the New York metro area expected to be 90m above the average, Reuters reported.

President Barack Obama, on a visit to India, has been briefed about emergency preparations for the storm.

"White House officials have been in touch with state and local officials up and down the eastern seaboard to ensure that they have the resources necessary to prepare for and immediately respond to the storm," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Residents scrambled to stock up on storm staples such as groceries, shovels, road salt and ice scrapers.

Mr Cuomo said the storm would see 750 snow ploughs mobilised and 50,000 pounds of salt used to make roads safe.

Ominous ... New York City is shrouded in a light snow. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Stranded ... travellers stand in line at Logan International Airport attempting to get out ahead of the massive storm due to hit the northeast. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The National Weather Service said up to three feet of snow (90cm) could fall from the New York area into coastal New England, with white-out conditions possible.

"Many roads may become impassable. Strong winds may down power lines and tree limbs," it warned.

"All unnecessary travel is discouraged beginning Monday afternoon."

Aussie travellers hit

Australian travellers in the US have been stranded as airlines cancel thousands of flights and roads become treacherous. American Airlines announced it would suspend operations in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

The airline has Qantas codeshare flights across the US and Canada.

Qantas codeshare flights to New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Toronto and Montreal have been cancelled.

Qantas codeshares from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco have also been cancelled.

Virgin America encouraged customers to remain up-to-date with the status of flights.

Cancelled ... the flight board at Logan International Airport in Boston. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

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