A major, shocking nor’easter is about to hit parts of the Northeast with blizzards, heavy snow and strong winds.
The forecast had been fraught with uncertainty in recent days, but ultimately focused on a major storm from the mid-Atlantic to the New England region, including New York City, Boston and other large cities.
The storm has rapidly intensified into a bomb cyclone off the East Coast since Sunday, meaning the worst is just a day away.
Local officials are bracing for major impacts: New York Gov. Cathy Hochul said her team is “closely monitoring” future storms and encouraged New Yorkers to sign up for real-time alerts. In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser will deploy a district snow removal team of 200 heavy and light snow plows to hit the streets Sunday in preparation for snowfall.
Blizzard warnings in effect: Millions of people are currently under blizzard warnings, which extend from the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey to New York City and parts of coastal New England. This is the first time since 2017 that a blizzard warning has been issued for mainland New York City.
Heavy snow totals: More than a foot of snow could accumulate near or east of Philadelphia into New York City and Boston. Several inches of snow will also fall south of the mid-Atlantic region, including Baltimore.
Major travel disruptions expected: Snow will fall in the Northeast during the day Sunday, but the worst conditions are expected Sunday night into Monday. Travel will be dangerous or impossible, including Monday’s commute. Major disruptions could occur at major airports in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Possible power outages: Heavy, wet snow and strong winds exceeding 60 mph could result in broken tree limbs and scattered power outages.
According to NOAA’s Winter Storm Severity Index, severe to locally extreme impacts are expected from parts of the Delmarva Peninsula to eastern Pennsylvania, much of New Jersey, the New York tri-state area, and southern New England. This means travel will become dangerous or impossible and widespread closures are expected.
There are still subtle differences in the storm’s projected path, which could result in more or less snowfall in some places, but the storm will still pack a punch. The heaviest snow, possibly more than a foot, will fall near I-95 and east or southeast, from the Philadelphia area to New York City and Boston.
This is the first time in more than five years that more than a foot of snow has fallen in New York City’s Central Park. A major winter storm about a month ago came close to that mark with 11.4 inches of fall.
Snow is heavy, wet, and the type that sticks to tree branches and power lines. Combined with wind gusts of 40 mph or more, this could cause tree limbs to snap and sporadic power outages. Stronger wind gusts up to 55 mph are possible along the immediate coast.
Strong winds could push ocean water ashore like a hurricane surge, causing moderate to locally severe coastal flooding from Delaware and New Jersey to Long Island and southern New England. Peak water levels are expected at high tide late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
It all starts during the day Sunday as rain and snow begin to fall from parts of New York to the Mid-Atlantic. When cold air arrives, rain turns to snow.
Conditions will go downhill dramatically Sunday evening and into the evening as storms rapidly intensify off the coast. Strong winds and snow falling at rates of more than an inch per hour at times will extend from the mid-Atlantic northward into southern New England.
The worst of the storm will hit areas from Philadelphia to New York City and southern New England by sunrise Monday morning. Travel will be dangerous or impossible in these areas, and blowing snow is expected along the coast.
Snow and strong winds will weaken from south to north through the afternoon. The storm will be mostly over by Monday evening, but the final effects will still be felt in parts of New England.
