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Millions of people in the northeast wake up to the first major winter storm of the year on Monday with up to 2 feet of projected snow and blizzard-like conditions expected in the region.
The National Weather Service has warned that widespread snowfall of one to two feet is expected from Pennsylvania to New England, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston, through Tuesday, with rates of falls of snow up to two inches per hour.
NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins said the tri-state area could experience its biggest snowstorm in five years, while New York City could have between 12 and 16 inches of snow, with up to 20 inches possible if one of the heavy snow bands is over the city on Monday afternoon.
Karins said a forecast from the New York office of the National Weather Service called for 21 inches in Central Park, which would link it to the fourth largest snowstorm in New York history.
Periods of light snowfall will continue intermittently early Tuesday, he added.
The National Weather Service has warned that travel conditions will be “difficult, if not impossible” in the northeast.
The Maryland State Patrol said Monday morning it answered nearly 900 calls and responded to 330 accidents and about 150 disabled or unattended vehicles on Sunday.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told a press conference on Sunday that schools will be closed on Monday and officials are postponing appointments for coronavirus vaccinations.
“The last thing we want to do is urge our seniors to come out in the midst of a storm like this,” de Blasio said, warning residents not to underestimate the weather.
The mayor too tweeted that non-essential travel will be restricted to New York City starting at 6 a.m. Monday under a local state of emergency.
“This winter storm will be dangerous with heavy snowfall and high winds,” de Blasio said. “If you can stay home, stay home.”
Among the other states that have shut down major coronavirus vaccination sites are Rhode Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.
John F. Kennedy Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport canceled a total of more than 300 flights, or about 75%. LaGuardia Airport tops the list with 90% of its flights canceled on Monday.
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The storm had already blanketed parts of the Midwest with the greatest amount of snow some places had seen in several years. Chicago received nearly 7 inches of snow Sunday morning. In Wisconsin, the depth of snow in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached over 15 inches.
Snow has also hit the Washington metro area, with more than two inches reported in several areas, but another snowfall is possible Monday morning. The inclement weather in the city prompted President Joe Biden to postpone a visit to the State Department that was scheduled for Monday, a White House official told NBC News.
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