Roughly 35 million people are under blizzard warnings from Maryland to New Hampshire as a powerful winter storm threatens to bring up to 2 feet of snow and strong winds to parts of the region.
On Sunday morning, rain and snow showers began to filter in across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The low-pressure system will continue to intensify as it moves up the coast in the afternoon, spreading heavy snow and gusty winds.
“We haven’t seen a storm like this in a decade. Some parts of the city could see up to 28in,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned on social media.
The strongest part of the storm will come during the evening and overnight hours into Monday morning, with the possibility of 2-4 inches of snowfall per hour and 50-70 mph wind gusts. Travel conditions will be exceptionally dangerous, with visibility dropping under a quarter of a mile and deep snowdrifts expected to develop.
Projected snowfall totals for New York City and Boston range from a foot to 2 feet of snow. Philadelphia could receive up to 18 inches of snow, while Washington, D.C., is forecast to get 3 to 6 inches.
This is the first blizzard warning issued for New York City since 2017 and for Philadelphia since 2016. The last time all of New Jersey was under a blizzard warning was in 1996, while the last time all of Delaware was under a blizzard warning was 2010.
A rain and snow mix began falling in parts of New York City on Sunday morning as whiteout conditions set in. The rain is expected to subside by the afternoon as snowfall takes center stage, increasing in intensity in the evening with 1 to 2 inches falling per hour.
The heaviest snow is forecast to come Sunday evening, affecting cities including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and D.C. It is expected to subside by Monday afternoon.
Coastal flooding is also a concern through Monday, with 21 million people under alerts from Maryland to Maine. Atlantic City, New York, Long Island and Boston are included in these alerts, with 1 to 3 feet of inundation above ground level likely.
The waves at Long Branch Beach in New Jersey crashed powerfully against the shore Sunday morning, almost touching a nearby boardwalk.
Vulnerable areas near the waterfront or shoreline can expect flooding due to the combination of high tide and strong wind gusts.
Blustery and cold conditions are expected across the Northeast to start the week, but temperatures will rebound rather quickly following this storm. Highs for much of the region will reach the mid- to upper 40s throughout the second half of the week.
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