Uber caps surge pricing during winter storm, rival Lyft keeps regular cap in place

Want a ride home from car service Uber during the major snowstorm descending on the Northeast on Monday? Expect to pay more than the usual fare.

Not too much more, though. After taking heat for raising prices during past storms, Uber has capped how much prices can rise in U.S. cities during disasters or emergencies.

In New York City, surge pricing will be capped at 2.8 times — nearly triple — the normal fare. The San Francisco company is also planning to donate some of the proceeds to the American Red Cross. That's part of its nationwide policy during disasters and emergencies after criticsm when prices surged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

At smaller rival Lyft, prices never go higher than three times the regular rate.