Millions of people in the Northeast will wake up Monday to the first major winter storm of the year with up to two feet of snow projected and blizzard-like conditions expected across the region.
The National Weather Service warned that widespread heavy snowfall of one to two feet is forecast through Tuesday from Pennsylvania to New England, including Philadelphia, New York City and Boston, with snowfall rates of up to three 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 get between 30 and 40 inches of snow, with up to 20 inches possible as one of the heavy snow tires above the city Monday afternoon.
Karins said the forecast from the National Weather Service’s New York office has called for 21 inches in Central Park, which would tie it for the fourth-largest snowstorm in New York City history.
Light snow periods will continue until early Tuesday, he added.
The National Weather Service warned that travel conditions in the Northeast will be “difficult to impossible.”
The Maryland State Patrol said it answered nearly 900 phone calls Monday morning and responded to 330 crashes and about 150 disabled or unguarded vehicles on Sunday.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference on Sunday that schools would be closed on Monday and officials are opposing agreements for coronavirus vaccinations.
“The last thing we want to do is urge our seniors to emerge in the middle of a storm like this,” said de Blasio, warning residents not to underestimate the weather conditions.
The mayor too tweeted that non-essential travel will be restricted in New York City from 6am Monday as part of a local emergency.
“This winter storm will be dangerous with heavy snow and strong winds,” said de Blasio. “If you can stay at home, stay at home.”
Among 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 have canceled more than 300 flights in total, or about 75 percent. LaGuardia Airport topped the list with 90 percent of flights canceled on Monday.
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The storm had already covered parts of the Midwest with most of the snow some places had seen in a number of years. Chicago got nearly 7 inches of snow on Sunday morning. In Wisconsin, snow depths had reached more than 15 inches in some counties near Lake Michigan.
Snow also hit the Washington metropolitan area, with more than two inches reported in several areas, but another round of snow is possible Monday morning. The city’s bad weather has prompted President Joe Biden to delay a State Department visit scheduled for Monday, a White House official told NBC News.
