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Northeast digs out after deadly winter snowstorm

Northeast digs out from deadly winter snowstorm
Northeast digs out from deadly winter snowstorm 02:01

At least five people died as a winter storm swept through the Northeast this week, resulting in treacherous road conditions. Some major cities received more snow than they've had in years.

In New York, police responded to more than 600 accidents. A deadly pileup in central Pennsylvania on Wednesday involved more than 60 vehicles. A Spirit Airlines flight slid off the runway in Maryland. Binghamton, New York, had a record 41 inches of snow. 

"Last night's storm was just as serious as we anticipated," Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged residents to stay home. "I'm telling you it's not safe and you shouldn't be out there," he said. 

Restaurants already paralyzed by the pandemic are now getting pummeled by the weather. Since Indoor dining closed in New York City on Monday, Queens restaurant owner Alexios Papakostas says he's only sold three soups. 

"Without outdoor dining due to the snow, there is no business," he said. 

The cleanup could take days in parts of Pennsylvania and upstate New York that got more than 3 feet of snow. 

APTOPIX Wintry Weather New Jersey
A boy plays on a mound of snow in front of the skyline of New York City in West New York, New Jersey, Thursday, December 17, 2020.  Seth Wenig / AP

Hazardous conditions in the Northeast aren't expected to let up in the coming days. Windchills are expected to dip into the teens and single digits through Friday, creating dangerous road conditions. In locations that saw 2 to 4 feet of snow, some of it will stick around through Christmas. 

Despite concerns over shipment delays of the coronavirus vaccine, St. Luke's University Health Network in Pennsylvania received its first Pfizer vaccine delivery Thursday morning. 

"It arrived right on time, just like Christmas morning. The gifts were under the tree," St. Luke's CEO Rick Anderson said. 

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