the fact of the matter is that there was a not-unlikely chance (according to the models) that NYC, Boston, and other cities could have seen crippling snowfall. They were able to prepare for that eventuality. That it didn't come to pass is almost a non-issue.
The thing is, for the Boston area at least, the crippling snowfall totals came true. Areas west of Boston were reporting well over two feet of snow earlier in the day.