This is how awful the snow has been in Boston — PHOTOS
By PATRICK GILLESPIE CNN
Pedestrians make their way along a snow covered street during a winter snow storm in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Greg Burkett clears snow from the front of his house during a winter snowstorm in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A pedestrian walks along a snow covered street during a winter snow storm in Boston, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A driver throws aside a clump of snow while digging out their car during a winter snow storm in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A man skis across an intersection during a winter snow storm in Brookline, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
An MBTA green line subway train sits at a station during a winter snow storm in Brookline, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A pedestrian walks along a path during a winter snow storm in Brookline, Massachusetts February 9, 2015.(REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A pedestrian is reflected in the window and mirrors of a hair salon during a winter snow storm in Brookline, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A worker clears the snow off the sidewalk in front of a Victoria’s Secret store along a snow covered street during a winter snowstorm in Boston, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
People work inside a Starbucks outlet during a winter snow storm in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A worker makes a delivery during a winter snow storm in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A man waits in a bus shelter during a winter snow storm in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A pedestrian walks across the Mass Ave bridge following a winter snow storm in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Laray Brison, who came out to help clear snow around busy school routes at the request of the activist group Black Lives Matter Boston, shovels a sidewalk on Humbolt Ave in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Elijah Childs, who came out to help clear snow around busy school routes at the request of the activist group Black Lives Matter Boston, shovels around a fire hydrant on Humboldt Ave in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Volunteers, who came out to help clear snow around busy school routes at the request of the activist group Black Lives Matter Boston, shovel a sidewalk on Humboldt Ave in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Aaron Bray, who came out to help clear snow around busy school routes at the request of the activist group Black Lives Matter Boston, shovels a sidewalk on Humboldt Ave in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A sign in a snow drift marks the shuttle bus service at the closed MBTA subway station in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Laray Brison, who came out to help clear snow around busy school routes at the request of the activist group Black Lives Matter Boston, shovels a sidewalk on Humbolt Ave in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Volunteers, who came out to help clear snow around busy school routes at the request of the activist group Black Lives Matter Boston, shovel a sidewalk on Humboldt Avenue in Boston, Feb. 10, 2015. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
A woman walks through the snow down Charles Street during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A pedestrian with his glasses fogged over walks through the snow during a winter blizzard in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A woman shovels snow on Joy Street during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A snow shoveling crew crosses a street during a winter blizzard in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A woman shovels snow on Joy Street during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A couple walks hand-in-hand through the snow in the Back Bay during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A pedestrian walks past a bus stop with an advertisement for Florida during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A woman walks through the snow down Charles Street during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A worker cuts a path through the large snow mounds with a snowblower on Beacon Street during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Tom McQuail is hit by a snowball thrown by his daughter during a winter blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A snow-mobile pulls a man on snow board on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts following a winter storm February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Wind blown snow swirls around a truck following a winter storm in Medford, Massachusetts February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A woman walks down Delancey Street in Lower Manhattan, New York February 16, 2015. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)
A basketball sits on a frozen basketball court in Lower Manhattan, New York February 16, 2015. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)
Pedestrians walk along snow covered, MBTA subway rails on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts following a winter storm February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A snowmobile pulls a man on snow board on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts following a winter storm February 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder )
If you live in bone-chilling Boston, you may be booking a flight to Miami or Las Vegas right now. The U.S. economy could use some more sun, too.
Boston is digging out of nearly five feet of snow in just the last two weeks. Businesses have shut down, meaning people miss out on wages and stores lose potential sales. Snow removal alone has cost Boston more than $30 million, the city’s mayor said.
That’s not good for Boston or the U.S. economy: this winter’s blizzards could cost the nation $1 billion to $2 billion this year, according to Planalytics, a weather research firm for businesses. And that’s just the tally so far.
Although that sounds bad, this winter looks balmy compared to the Polar Vortex of 2014, which cost the economy $15 billion, according to Planalytics. Some other estimates for last year were lower than Planalytics’, but still significantly higher than this year.
Time will tell whether the blizzards are enough to send the U.S. economy into negative territory again this winter.
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