On the night of Friday, December 26th to Saturday morning, a winter storm enveloped the Northeastern United States, disrupting post-holiday weekend air travel and prompting weather emergency declarations from officials in New York and New Jersey.
The National Weather Service issued ice storm and winter storm warnings in New York and Connecticut, predicting the highest snowfall amounts in Long Island and the Hudson Valley region— with localized snowfall reaching up to a foot.
New York City could see its largest snowfall since 2022, with snowfall rates peaking at two inches or more per hour. Governor Kathy Hochul issued an emergency statement on Friday, warning of dangerous road conditions.
Many areas are expected to experience a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain, or be covered by a wintry mix.
Hochul stated, “The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I will continue to urge everyone to stay vigilant during this storm,” and cautioned residents to “avoid unnecessary travel.”
Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories were also issued for most of Pennsylvania, most of Massachusetts, and most of New Jersey, which declared a state of emergency. The storm is expected to bring strong winds.
Snow began falling in western New York and the New York metropolitan area on Friday evening, with snow accumulation expected to increase on Saturday.
Data from flight tracking service FlightAware shows that over 1600 domestic and international commercial flights to and from the U.S. were canceled on Friday as weather conditions worsened, with over 7800 flights delayed. An additional 650 flights scheduled to depart from or arrive in the U.S. on Saturday were canceled.
The three major airports in the New York metropolitan area—John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport—accounted for the majority of flight cancellations on Friday. These airports all posted alerts on social media platform X, warning passengers of potential flight delays or cancellations.
Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines, and JetBlue Airways told Reuters that they have waived the usual ticket change fees for affected passengers.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania issued commercial vehicle restrictions on certain roads (including many interstate highways).
In a statement, New Jersey Acting Governor Tahesha Way said, “This storm will create hazardous road conditions and disrupt holiday travel. We urge travelers to avoid trips during the storm so that road crews can clear the roads promptly.”
(Reference: Reuters)