On Sunday, February 22, parts of the US East Coast started experiencing rainfall and snowfall, expected to be hit by the first wave of a strong winter storm. The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings and severe weather alerts for a wide area from Maryland to Massachusetts.
According to the National Weather Service, many areas may see 1 to 2 feet (about 30 to 60 centimeters) of snow accompanied by strong winds, with potential for flooding in some areas.
Blizzard warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service for coastal communities in New York City and Long Island, Boston, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Prior to the storm’s arrival, emergency declarations were issued by New York and New Jersey, with local officials mobilizing for preparedness.
Meteorologist Cody Snell from the Weather Prediction Center stated, “It’s been a while since the Northeast region has experienced such a significant nor’easter and intense blizzard.”
He added, “This is definitely a strong winter storm that will have a major impact on this region of the country.”
The National Weather Service noted that in some areas, the storm may initially begin as rain before intensifying, with the most intense snowfall expected to occur overnight on Sunday, with some areas accumulating up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour. Snowfall is expected to gradually taper off by Monday afternoon.
Warning of gusts up to 55 miles per hour (about 80 kilometers per hour) bringing near-zero visibility, the National Weather Service cautioned that travel could become dangerous and life-threatening, while strong winds and heavy snow accumulation on tree branches could bring down power lines, potentially causing sporadic outages.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned of wet, heavy snow accumulation up to 2 feet (about 0.6 meters) and announced the implementation of a “traffic ban” from Sunday night at 9 p.m. until midday Monday, closing roads to all non-essential vehicles.
During a press conference on Sunday, he urged residents to avoid all non-essential travel, emphasizing, “This is blizzard weather conditions. New York City has not faced a storm of this magnitude in the past decade. We urge New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. For your safety, please stay home, stay indoors, do not go out on the roads.”
He also announced the cancellation of all in-person and online classes for all schools in the city on Monday, calling it the “first traditional snow day since 2019.”
According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, as of Sunday afternoon, over 3,500 flights across the US have been canceled.
As the storm hits, the remnants of the snow and ice from a storm that struck the Northeast region of the US a few weeks ago have only just begun to melt.
Officials in New Jersey are also urging residents to stay indoors and away from streets, especially in low-lying areas prone to flooding.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency starting from noon on Sunday, warning that this could be a “potentially historic winter storm.”