January 2015 North American blizzard

The January 2015 North American blizzard was a powerful and severe blizzard that dumped up to 3 feet (910 mm) of snowfall in parts of New England. Originating from a disturbance just off the coast of the Northwestern United States on January 23, it initially produced a light swath of snow as it traveled southeastwards into the Midwest as an Alberta clipper on January 24–25. It gradually weakened as it moved eastwards towards the Atlantic Ocean, however, a new dominant low formed off the East Coast of the United States late on January 26, and rapidly deepened as it moved northeastwards towards southeastern New England, producing pronounced blizzard conditions. The nor’easter then gradually weakened as it moved away into Canada. The storm was also given unofficial names, such as Blizzard of 2015, and Winter Storm Juno.

The blizzard disrupted transportation, with snow emergencies declared in six states and travel bans enacted in four of these states – Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island – as well as in New York City. Additionally, blizzard warnings were issued for much of the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Boston, Massachusetts, with meteorologists and experts the potential for "historic" and "record-breaking" snowfall totals of up to 2–3 feet (24–36 in; 61–91 cm) in the major metropolitan areas, including New York City. Most passenger rail service was suspended, and thousands of flights were cancelled. Schools and activities saw weather-related cancellations for one or more days. In a first for New York City, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo made the decision to shut down the city's subway system; it had never previously been closed due to snow.

Very gusty winds were reported from the storm, especially in New England, peaking close to 100 mph (160 km/h) in Atlantic Canada. of which the storm began a month-long period in which the city of Boston would accumulate record amounts of seasonal snowfall. However, snowfall fell significantly short of what was anticipated, mainly due to a shift of the storm's track. After the storm had passed, a number of New York City residents criticized Cuomo’s decision to shut down the subway; the blizzard dropped much less snow in the city than originally expected, totaling 9.8 inches (25 cm) in Central Park. The models were 50 miles off; the storm failed to bring moisture back to New York City and New Jersey. At least 3 people died as a result of the storm and damages were estimated to be US$500 million (2015 USD).