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

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

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The combination of heavy snow, gusts of wind and coastal flooding should make travel anywhere from dangerous to impossible in much of the region on Monday and can interrupt power in a large area.

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

This could be a historic snowstorm. As of 1 pm Central Park had recorded 13.3 inches of snow (8 inches in the past 6 hours) and it was still snowing, the National Weather Service said. CNN forecasters say it is possible for about half a meter of snow to cover the city before the storm passes.

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

Covid-19 clinics in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and elsewhere in the region were closed on Monday because of the storm. De Blasio said the appointments can be rescheduled and New York will be able to update itself “quickly”.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also declared a state of emergency, closing all New Jersey state offices and the transit system.
“This is a big problem and will be with us right now, we believe, until tomorrow night,” Murphy said during a news conference on Monday. “The worst is yet to come.”
A worker clears snow from the sidewalks of Times Square on Monday.
The roads are already treacherous. All tracks east of I-80 in Hope Township, New Jersey, were closed after a tractor trailer was shaken.

The storm also affected air traffic.

More than 1,300 flights in the United States were preemptively canceled before nor’easter and, on Monday afternoon, the number of flights canceled inside, inside or outside the country rose to more than 1,600, according to Flightaware.com.

LaGuardia airport canceled all commercial flights on Monday. By the end of the morning, 83% of JFK flights were canceled and more cancellations are expected. In Newark Liberty, 75% of flights were canceled and the AirTrain service is suspended.

The hardest hit places

New York City

The snowfall, which started on Sunday night, increased in intensity on Monday, and snow rates can reach 5 to 7 centimeters per hour in the city, Long Island and southern Connecticut. This could create conditions of zero visibility and make the trip very dangerous.

The city’s traffic authority suspended the open-air metro service as of 2 pm on Monday.

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

Empty or tandem tractor trailers are not allowed on bridges and pedestrian walkways on some bridges are closed.

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

Students in the municipal school system will have classes remotely until Tuesday, said de Blasio.

Strong winds made life difficult for pedestrians at Columbus Circle. One person still had to cling to a pillar for balance, reported CNN WCBS affiliate, and others struggled to stay upright.

“It’s a little challenging,” said Debra Paul, an East New York resident. “The gentleman had to hold me, because I was getting up off the floor.”

The storm can drop up to 21 inches when it ends. If that happens, it will be the largest amount of snow New York City has seen since January 22-24, 2016, a storm that poured 27.5 inches over a two-day period. It would also consolidate this storm as one of the most prolific winter storms for the city, placing it in the top 10 of the highest snow totals ever recorded.

Washington DC

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

On Monday, precipitation changed to a mixture of hail and snow, covering the roads with ice and increasing the danger of driving. There is a chance of light snow on Tuesday morning, before ending in the afternoon. The district has managed to see a total of 5 to 7 inches, the maximum in the past two years.

Philadelphia

A similar combination of rain and snow hit Philadelphia, where two to three inches of snow fell early Monday.

A mix of rain and snow in the morning is likely to snow again from Monday night to Tuesday. The expected final total is about a foot.

Philadelphia made the most of the snow. Larry Levine took his daughter Abigail on a sled, despite the lack of hills in Rittenhouse Square, the CNN affiliate WGBS reported. “Abigail wanted to know if there is enough snow to play with and I said, ‘Let’s try it!’ Levine said, as he pulled his sled through the park.

Boston

A winter storm alert is in place and the city has issued a snow emergency. It is expected that there will be snow of 20 to 30 centimeters, with even more inside. The snow will be heavy on Monday afternoon, 4 to 6 inches on Monday night.

A winter mix starting on Monday night will continue all day on Tuesday, snowing again on Tuesday night. The National Meteorological Service said road conditions would deteriorate rapidly around midday on Monday.

Total snow forecast through Tuesday

Boston is used to significant snowfalls, having alerted teams to plow 2,000 miles of lane on city roads by Tuesday.

This is equivalent to the distance from Boston to Denver without snow in less than 48 hours.

The location and tracking of this multi-day storm will play an important role in total snowfall across the Northeast. A storm near the coast will produce more rain, while a storm far from the coast will reduce humidity and lead to less snow.

Ice on the roads can increase the danger of driving

The models suggest that this nor’easter should be the ideal spot for abundant humidity that leads to significant snowfall. Another important factor is also at stake, increasing confidence for the impacts of the storm.

According to CNN meteorologist Tom Sater, this storm is hitting Canadian cold air. “A strong high pressure system is installed in southeastern Canada, pushing enough cold air to the south long enough and lasting long enough to get the type of snow predicted.”

Storm story

Clocks and notices span several states

Nearly 75 million in a dozen states are under some kind of winter surveillance 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 more snow since 2018. The official snow totals for the National Weather Service 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 the governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy.

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