Related: Old Sayings Apply While Driving Through Bad Weather
Winter Storm Stella Wreaks Havoc in the Northeast
Winter Storm Stella has hit the Northeast, dumping snow in New England and freezing rain in warmer areas, and causing road closures along the East Coast.

Photo via NYS Thruway Authority Twitter
#BlizzardStella - Heavy tow operator Gallagher's Garage performs a winch-out on I-87 at milepost 103 southbound pic.twitter.com/68JWipMWrL
— NYSThruwayAuthority (@NYSThruway) March 14, 2017
Winter Storm Stella has hit the Northeast, dumping snow in New England and freezing rain in warmer areas, and causing road closures along the East Coast.
Stella has dropped more than a foot of snow already in areas of New York and Pennsylvania and brought freezing rain and ice to the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas. The rain and snow led to the declaration of states of emergency in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, according to the Washington Post.
Several major roads have been closed in the area. The storm is expected to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday as it moves in a northeasterly direction. In New York, the state has issued a tractor-trailer ban on the full length of Interstates 81, 84, 86, 88, Route 17 and the NYS Thruway.
Pennsylvania is joining New York in restricting all trucks from Interstate 84 and is advising truckers to avoid Interstate 81 although trucks are not officially banned. The state is also imposing restrictions on interstate roads in central and eastern Pennsylvania. Speed limits are reduced to 45 mph and the affected interstates are closed to tandem trailers, empty trailers, buses, motorcycles recreational vehicles and towed trailers.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie authorized road closures in the state in anticipation of the storm and directed travelers to use 511nj.org to keep up with the latest road conditions. Connecticut has issued a statewide travel ban, authorizing only essential travel on state roads.
Earlier in the week, Stella left behind several inches of snow in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, in some cases exceeding a foot.
Southern states also received snowfall, though in smaller amounts in parts of Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Operations

Work Truck Seeks Fleet and Industry Insights on 2026 Trends and 2027 Forecasts
Work Truck is seeking insights from fleet leaders and industry partners on the trends that shaped 2026 and what commercial fleets should prepare for in 2027. Participate today!
Read More →
30 Years in Fleet and Still Learning: Lessons Beyond Trucks
After more than three decades in fleet, Bob Adamsky has learned that knowing trucks is only part of the job. The bigger lessons come down to communication, understanding, and never assuming you know it all.
Read More →What Every New Fleet Manager Should Know
Carolyn Edwards shares lessons on finding mentors, showing fleet’s value, and leading teams in this episode of Legends of Fleet.
Read More →From Our Partners
Basic Tracking vs Next Generation Fleet Technology
Sponsored by AT&T Business

5 Facts Every Fleet Manager Should Know About Embedded Telematics
Sponsored by Stellantis/Mobilisights

How AI Video Telematics Boosts Driver Safety and Helps to Avoid Unnecessary Costs
Sponsored by Verizon Connect

Charting the 8 Bottom-Line Benefits of Workforce Optimization
Sponsored by Verizon Connect


Les Schwab Tires Launches Foundation With $100,000 for Community Recovery
Les Schwab Tires launches a foundation with $100,000 to support recovery for Silver Rail Elementary and the Bend community following a school shooting.
Read More →
Bring Some Fleet to Your Halloween with Our Pumpkin Carving Templates
Download Work Truck’s truck-themed pumpkin patterns, explore more automotive designs, and give your shop or front porch a seasonal upgrade.
Read More →
How Cardless Fuel Payments Benefit Commercial Fleets
Is it time for fleets to move beyond plastic fuel cards? David Abraham of WEX explains how cardless fuel payments can help reduce fraud, simplify driver transactions, and improve efficiency by allowing drivers to pay for fuel using their smartphones.
Read More →
Good Fleet Leadership Starts With the People You Already Have
From developing future leaders to listening to employees, discover how better leadership can help work truck fleets retain talent and build stronger teams.
Read More →
ATRI Names Next President and CEO
Page Siplon, a longtime transportation and logistics industry executive, has been chosen as the next president and CEO of the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).
Read More →
Coltrain Onsite Fleet Care Sponsors 2026 Cure Bowl to Support Cancer Research
The mobile fleet maintenance provider is supporting the annual college football bowl game, which has helped raise $6.83 million for cancer research since 2015.
Read More →
Racing Lessons, Electric Fleet Growth, and Ghostbusters Lead This Week's Work Truck News
Racing lessons for fleets, Republic Services' electric truck expansion, 40 years of fleet wisdom, truck trivia, autonomous yard trucks, and more headline this week's Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.
Read More →
