Blizzard warnings cascade across East Coast with winter storm’s approach

NEW YORK (AP) — Snow and rain began falling Sunday across parts of the East Coast, the first jabs of an intense winter storm expected to wallop the region through the day and overnight, with blizzard alerts and weather warnings buzzing in communities from Maryland to Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service said 1 to 2 feet (some 30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in many areas, along with heavy winds and potential flooding in certain spots.

Blizzard warnings have been issued by the weather service in New York City and Long Island, Boston and coastal communities in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Emergency declarations were issued in New York and New Jersey ahead of the storm, as officials mobilized readiness efforts.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major nor’easter and major blizzard of this magnitude across the Northeast,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center.

“This is definitely a major winter storm and a major impact for this part of the country,” he said.

Some of the heaviest snow forecast for overnight Sunday into Monday

The weather service said the storm could begin as rainfall in some places before worsening. Some of the heaviest snow is projected to fall overnight Sunday, with as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday afternoon.

The weather service warned that the storm, with gusts up to 55 mph (80 kph), could cause whiteout conditions that “will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages.”

The weather service in Boston warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor, writing on X that it was “very concerned” about heavy snow and winds causing power outages.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned of wet, heavy snow incoming — potentially 2 feet (.6 meters) — and said city officials are instituting a “travel ban” that would close roads to all non-essential traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday until noon Monday.

“These are blizzard conditions. New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,” he said at a news conference Sunday. “We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside and stay off the road.”

He has also canceled in-person and virtual classes for city schools on Monday, calling it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”

“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy,” he said.

In addition to their robust plow operations, city officials have recruited people to shovel snow on foot, some of whom will begin work Sunday night to get an early start on the first wave of snowfall, Mamdani said.

Meanwhile, outreach workers have also been out working to coax homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelters and various warming centers.

More than 3,500 flights were canceled across the U.S. as of Sunday afternoon, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

Preparations for major snow clearing

With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico to prepare his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.

Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow-removal vehicles, before resting up Saturday.

“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”

The storm approached just as the icy remains of a snowstorm that struck the region weeks earlier were finally melting away.

Officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, urged residents and casino visitors to stay off the streets, especially in low-lying neighborhoods prone to flooding.

“I could go on and on probably with a good two dozen streets where we know we will get water and there will be snow on top of that,” said Scott Evans, the city’s fire chief and emergency management coordinator. “So you won’t be able to see it until it’s too late. So therefore please stay at home.”

A state of emergency began at noon Sunday throughout New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced, warning of a “potentially historic winter storm.” Ahead of the storm, many churches canceled Sunday services and other activities. To compensate, St. Veronica Parish in Howell, New Jersey, added an extra Mass on Saturday evening.

“Please stay safe, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep one another in prayer during the storm,” the Rev. Peter James Alindogan posted online.

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Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire and Larry Neumeister in Brick Township, New Jersey, contributed to this report. Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York.