Nor’easter could bury the Big Apple in up to 2 feet of snow

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The combination of heavy snowfall, wind gusts and coastal flooding was expected to make travel unsafe to impossible across much of the region on Monday and could cut off power over a large area.

“I want New Yorkers to hear me out loud – stay home and off the road,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in declaring a state of emergency for 44 countries.

It could be a historic snowstorm. As of 1 p.m. Central Park had reported 13.3 inches of snow (8 inches in the past 6 hours) and it was still snowing, the National Weather Service said. CNN meteorologists say it is possible that about two feet of snow could cover the city before the storm passes.

On the five-level scale used by the National Weather Service, New York could see level five, or extreme impacts. Near blizzard conditions are expected Monday evening, with wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph. The storm may not ease until Wednesday morning.
“Make no mistake: this storm will bring heavy snowfall and make travel dangerous in all areas of our city,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New Yorkers should stay home, keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles, and let our plows work to protect us all.”

Covid-19 clinics in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and other places in the region were closed on Monday due to the storm. De Blasio said the dates could be postponed and New York would be able to catch up “quickly”.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also declared a state of emergency, shutting down all state offices and the New Jersey transit system.
“It’s a big deal and it’s going to be with us at this point, we think, until tomorrow night,” Murphy said at a press conference Monday. “The worst is yet to come.”
On Monday, a worker clears the sidewalks of Times Square.
The highways are already treacherous. All lanes eastbound I-80 in Hope Township, New Jersey, were closed after a tractor-trailer was stabbed.

The storm also devastated air traffic.

More than 1,300 flights across the United States were preemptively canceled before nor’easter, and by Monday afternoon the number of flights canceled within, to or outside the country had risen to over 1,600, according to Flightaware.com.

LaGuardia Airport canceled all commercial flights on Monday. As of late morning, 83% of JFK flights have been canceled and further cancellations are expected. In Newark Liberty, 75% of flights have been canceled and AirTrain service is suspended.

Places hard hit

New York City

Snowfall, which started late Sunday night, intensified on Monday, and snowfall rates could reach 2 to 3 inches per hour for the city, Long Island and southern Connecticut. This could create conditions of zero visibility and make travel very dangerous.

The city’s transit company suspended outdoor metro service starting at 2 p.m. Monday.

The buses are still operating, but the city and state are monitoring the situation closely, said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of the New York City Transit Authority.

No empty or tandem semi-trailers are allowed on the bridges and the walkways of some bridges are closed.

Workers hold snow shovels on the Monday subway in New York.

Students in the city’s school system will take distance education until Tuesday, de Blasio said.

High winds made life difficult for pedestrians in Columbus Circle. One person even had to hang on to a pillar for balance, CNN affiliate WCBS reported, and others struggled to keep their feet up.

“It’s a little difficult,” said Debra Paul, a resident of eastern New York City. “The gentleman must have held me, because I was lifting off the ground.”

The storm could drop as much as 21 inches by the time it ends. If that happens, it will be the largest amount of snow New York City has seen since the January 22-24, 2016 storm that dumped 27.5 inches over a two-day period. It would also make this storm one of the city’s most prolific winter storms, placing it in the top 10 for the biggest snowfall totals on record.

Washington DC

The city has already seen 2-3 inches of snow, ending a 710 consecutive day run without an inch or more of snow, the second longest in the city dating back to 1884.

On Monday, the precipitation changed to a mixture of sleet and snow, coating the roads with ice and increasing driving danger. There is a risk of light snow Tuesday morning before it ends in the afternoon. The neighborhood could see a total of 5 to 7 inches, the most over the past two years.

Philadelphia cream

A similar combination of rain and snow hit Philadelphia, where 2-3 inches of snow fell early Monday.

A rain-snow mixture in the morning will likely revert to snow Monday night through Tuesday. The final expected total there is about a foot.

The Philadelphians took advantage of the snow. Larry Levine took his daughter Abigail to sled despite the lack of hills in Rittenhouse Square, CNN affiliate WGBS reported. “Abigail was wondering if there was enough snow to play and I said, ‘Let’s try! Levine said pulling his sled through the park.

Boston

A winter storm warning is in effect and the city has issued a snow emergency. Eight to 12 inches of snow is expected, with more inland. The snow will be heavy Monday afternoon with 4 to 6 inches by Monday evening.

A winter mix starting Monday night will continue all day Tuesday, returning to snow Tuesday night. The national weather service said road conditions would deteriorate rapidly around noon Monday.

Forecast snow totals through Tuesday

Boston is used to heavy snowfall, having alerted crews to clear 2,000 miles of track on city roads through Tuesday.

That’s the equivalent of the distance between Boston and Denver cleared of snow in less than 48 hours.

The placement and track of this multi-day storm will play a major role in the snowfall totals in the northeast. A storm near the coast will produce more precipitation, while a storm too offshore will reduce humidity and cause less snowfall.

Ice on the roads could increase the driving danger

Models suggest that this nor’easter should be the sweet spot for abundant humidity resulting in heavy snowfall. Another important factor was also at play, increasing confidence in the impacts of the storm.

According to CNN meteorologist Tom Sater, this storm exploits cold Canadian air. “A powerful high pressure system is in place in southeastern Canada, pushing a lot of cold air far enough south and lasting long enough to get the type of snow expected.

History of the storm

Watches and warnings cover multiple states

Nearly 75 million states in a dozen states are under some sort of winter watch or warning of a storm that had its genesis in the Midwest on Saturday. While there, the storm dropped more than a foot of snow in Milwaukee.

Metro Chicago, at 10.5 inches, has seen the most snow since 2018. Official National Weather Service snow totals have ranged from 1 inch to 13 inches so far in the Midwest.

Correction: An earlier version of this story had the wrong first name for New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.



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