A historic blizzard is about to shut down the Northeast with up to 2 feet of snow

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed a disaster declaration in advance of the winter storm, a move aimed at mobilizing state resources and coordinating response efforts across affected regions.

Speaking at a news conference Sunday, Shapiro warned forecasters are calling for “very, very significant snowfall” in the Philadelphia region, adding that substantial accumulation is also expected in the Lehigh Valley and throughout the Poconos.

“I ask you to stay off the roads, particularly when the snow begins, so that the plows can get out there, clear the roads and get you back moving as quickly as possible,” Shapiro said. “We anticipate there may be some restrictions during the heaviest periods of snow.”

The disaster declaration allows the state to streamline emergency response operations, deploy personnel and equipment more quickly and support local governments as conditions deteriorate.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency and activated National Guard troops ahead of tonight’s storm.

“First of all, I’m declaring a state of emergency effectively in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This enables us to respond to conditions. It helps us to deploy necessary resources and to support our residents’ safety,” Healey said during a news conference from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency bunker.

Healey also activated 200 members of the Massachusetts National Guard, she said.

“They are going to be ready to assist with rescue response, with debris removal and the like.”

The governor also ordered the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center.

Forecast of peak water levels at available gauges on the coast. Purple boxes indicate major flooding. Red and orange boxes show where moderate and minor flooding is expected, respectively.

Powerful winds in the intensifying storm will push ocean water onshore into low-lying areas on the coast like storm surge in a hurricane.

Moderate to locally major coastal flooding is expected from the Delaware and New Jersey coasts to Long Island and southern New England, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Peak water levels are expected with high tide either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

One of the locations expected to hit major flood stage is Lewes, Delaware. An inundation of ocean water at this level can start to cause structural damage and widespread road flooding in the coastal communities of Sussex County, Delaware, the NWS says.

Large waves will also slam into the coastline and erode beaches that have already been hammered by multiple storms this winter.

A plane takes off from LaGuardia Airport in New York, on Sunday.

As a massive winter storm threatens to bring feet of snow across the Northeast, around 7,500 flights within, into and out of the US have been canceled today and tomorrow, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

In all, 3,182 flights have been canceled for Sunday, as of early afternoon, and 4,327 have been canceled for Monday.

Airports in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia are the most affected.

The storm is expected to peak overnight, snarling air travel over the next 48 hours.

The storm is forecast to strengthen significantly and become a bomb cyclone overnight, bringing powerful winds to millions on top of intense snow.

Coastal areas will bear the brunt of the strongest wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph, but locations farther inland will not escape windy conditions.

These winds could knock down trees and power lines on their own, but add in heavy, wet snow weighing everything down and outages could be significant.

Sunday night into early Monday morning will see the strongest winds from eastern Maryland through New Jersey. New York City and Long Island up through much of coastal southern New England will feel the strongest winds Monday.

Parts of the Massachusetts Cape could endure gusts of 70 mph or more at times Monday.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed an emergency order prohibiting commercial vehicles from traveling on all limited-access highways in the state beginning at 5 p.m. ET Sunday ahead of a powerful winter storm expected to impact the Northeast.

The governor also declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

The vehicle travel ban will remain in effect until further notice.

“Everyone statewide is strongly urged to avoid all unnecessary, non-essential travel,” Lamont said in a news release. “Plan ahead, get to where you need to be by early Sunday evening, and remain there throughout the duration of the storm.”

The emergency order does not apply to emergency response vehicles, public safety vehicles, utilities vehicles and those carrying essential personnel or supplies, the governor’s office said.

A woman walks along the Hudson River while snow falls in Jersey City, New Jersey on Sunday.

New Jersey’s governor isn’t mincing words when it comes to the historic potential of this storm.

“This is likely to be the worst storm that we have seen since 1996,” governor Mikie Sherrill said at a Sunday news conference. said, referencing the historic blizzard that saw over 2 feet of snow fall on Trenton.

The entire state is under a blizzard warning for the first time in 30 years.

Sherrill announced that a commercial vehicle ban will take effect at 3 p.m. ET on all New Jersey highways, except the Turnpike.

New Jersey Transit buses, light rail and access link will also be suspended starting at 6 p.m, the governor said. Trains are expected to run into the evening, but train service will likely be suspended “sometime tonight,” she said.

“This storm is too serious to have people and workers out on public transit,” she said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reminded property owners Sunday it is their legal responsibility to keep sidewalks accessible during the blizzard.

“Additional operational agencies will be clearing fire hydrants, crosswalks and bus stops on or around their property to aid residents with mobility challenges,” the mayor said. A minimum 4-foot-wide path must be cleared across all sidewalks to accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices.

During the last storm, the city’s Department of Sanitation issued more than 4,000 violations to property owners who failed to comply, according to Mamdani.

To support compliance, the city has activated over 1,000 emergency snow shovelers to preemptively clear sidewalks and streets before the storm reaches its peak. An additional shoveling shift begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET with 300 shovelers deployed using 33 New York City Department of Sanitation vans and two agency buses to reach priority areas quickly.

The department has also mobilized its 700 salt spreaders and 2,200 plowing vehicles, working across the five boroughs.

Current radar shows where the storm is already bringing rain and snow.

We’re still in the early hours of this storm before it’s forecast to explode in strength, but flakes are already flying.

It’s snowing in New York City and northern New Jersey, along with other parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Some snow is also swirling into parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest.

It’s still raining in much of Delaware, southern New Jersey and along the Washington, DC, to Philadelphia Interstate-95 corridor as temperatures there remain above freezing for now.

Here’s the latest satellite image of the storm:

Satellite image captured around noon ET Sunday.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a citywide travel ban beginning Sunday evening as the city prepares for the impact of the blizzard.

During a Sunday news conference, Mamdani declared a state of emergency and said the travel ban takes effect at 9 p.m. ET Sunday and will remain in place until noon Monday.

The measure is intended to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles, snow crews and essential services while the storm dumps heavy snow across the city.

“The state of emergency closes the streets, highways and bridges of New York City for all traffic, cars, trucks, scooters and e-bikes, with some specific exemptions for essential and emergency,” Mamdani said. “We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside and stay off the roads.”

Essential workers, such as first responders, are exempt from the travel ban.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Sunday all New York City public schools will be closed Monday due to the ongoing blizzard.

“While the continuity of our children’s education is of the utmost importance, the safety of students, parents, and teachers comes first,” Mamdani said. This marks the city’s first traditional snow day since 2019. “The state requires us to conduct 180 days of education in the calendar year. However, we believe that there are a unique set of extenuating circumstances for tomorrow’s education.”

Mamdani also made the announcement in a heartwarming moment on X, posting a screen recording of a FaceTime call with a New York City student named Victoria. In the video, he greeted her with a cheerful “Hi, Victoria,” and shared the news.

“No online school, no remote learning, full classic snow day,” he told her as she cheered. “My only ask to you is that you just stay safe, stay indoors during the height of the storm. Once that has passed, feel free to go out and sled.”

In addition to schools, other nonessential city offices and services, including libraries, will also be closed to the public.

Transportation will also be affected: Staten Island and New York City ferry service will be suspended starting 5 p.m. Sunday and is expected to resume late Monday morning.

Satellite imagery should reveal a spectacular view of this storm by sunrise Monday after it explodes into a bomb cyclone overnight.

This “future satellite” from a computer model shows it will have the classic comma-shaped cloud canopy that many strong nor’easters have exhibited in the past.

The clouds are spinning counterclockwise around the storm’s intense low-pressure system, which is the light blue area in the middle. Shadings of green and yellow over the Northeast depict higher clouds tops — an indication of where its heaviest snow will be Monday morning.

People walk along the street during snowfall in New York, on Sunday.

Thundersnow is a rare, localized snowy thunderstorm that happens with a larger, very powerful winter storm or intense lake-effect snow.

Typical thunderstorms are fueled by atmospheric instability. Heat and moisture generate this instability, so that’s why thunderstorms are more common during warmer parts of the year.

But very powerful storms, like this budding nor’easter, can generate plenty of atmospheric instability on their own because they’re so energetic and chaotic.

Thundersnow’s lightning typically flashes within the storm itself, but some bolts have been known to strike the ground.

It also doesn’t quite have the same loud boom as a regular thunderstorm because heavy snowfall muffles the sound. Instead it sounds like a low, ominous rumble.

The 1 a.m. run of the American GFS model predicted it would be snowing in Washington, DC, by 7 a.m. As of around 11:30 a.m., it’s still raining there, which give us an indication the model was running much colder than reality. This means the GFS snow forecast is likely too high.

The Euro, on the other hand, predicts rain changes to snow in the late afternoon, early evening.

NYC Mayor Mamdani assists with salting operation ahead of historic blizzard

00:29 • Source: CNN

NYC Mayor Mamdani assists with salting operation ahead of historic blizzard

00:29

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had an early start on Sunday preparing the city for a historic blizzard.

“NYC has over 100 step streets — many in the hills of the Bronx — and NYC DOT works hard to keep them safe,” Mamdani shared on X.

“Grateful to the crew at the DOT Brush Avenue Yard for walking me through their salting operation as the first snow starts to fall. Public service in action,” he said.

Mamdani also visited the New York City Department of Sanitation shed in Flushing, Queens, while they prepared their fleet of snowplows.

“New York’s Strongest adds snow chains to over 2,200 vehicles and loads over 700 salt spreaders to treat and clear our streets,” he said.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is urging residents to stay home and keep roads clear ahead of a significant winter storm set to begin tonight.

Wu said the city is declaring a snow emergency and is implementing a parking ban starting at 2 p.m. ET today. “Starting at that time, all vehicles parked along snow emergency arteries will be towed,” she said.

Workers are already out pretreating the roads, and the city will have “more than 900 spreaders, plows and other pieces of equipment on the roads for the storm,” the mayor said.

“Please make plans to stay inside. Stay warm. Do not be on the roads,” Wu said, citing potential whiteout conditions. “Let the plows do their work,” she said.

Wu also announced that all Boston Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, February 23. Central offices and all BPS extracurricular activities are canceled today and Monday, she added.

Boston City Hall and all municipal buildings will also be closed tomorrow, as well as Boston Library branches.

Westchester County in New York will institute a “complete road ban” overnight, officials announced on X.

“The road ban is being implemented due to hazardous winter weather conditions expected overnight, including heavy snowfall and wind,” reads the X post. “Roads are closed to all but essential travel (police, fire and ambulance).”

The ban will start at 9 p.m. ET tonight and end at 10 a.m. ET tomorrow morning.

Westchester County is in southeastern New York state, bordering Connecticut.

Temperatures closer to the ground will still be above freezing when rain changes to snow in the Washington, DC, area this afternoon.

Since those first snowflakes won’t accumulate, the local National Weather Service office described it as a “white rain.” All it will do is wet roads, just like rain would.

Wet roads can still be hazardous for drivers, but they won’t get slick from snow until temperatures turn colder tonight. About 2 to 5 inches of snow is possible in the metro area, which could slow the Monday morning commute.

Shoveling snow is hard and it’s even more difficult if the snow isn’t powdery or fluffy like with this storm.

Meteorologists describe how wet or dry snow is through its snow ratio. A higher snow ratio, say 20:1, means 20 inches of snow occurs for every inch of water. That snow is very dry and fluffy. A lower snow ratio of 6:1 means that the snow is quite wet and will only produce 6 inches of snow for every inch of water.

The last storm to rock the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast exactly four weeks ago dropped very fluffy snow because it was extremely cold at the time, which kept snow ratios high. Temperatures are going to be much closer to freezing during this storm, meaning snow ratios will be much lower.

Heavy, wet snow is called heart attack snow because cleaning it up puts a massive strain on the body — especially the heart. People with heart conditions or even high blood pressure could quickly run into issues while shoveling, especially if it’s cold.

Shoveling snow is responsible for as many as 100 deaths on average each year, according to the nonprofit National Safety Council.

The American and European models were at extreme odds Friday morning, just 48 hours before this storm was slated to start. The spread between the two forecasts was a paralyzing I-95 blizzard on the one hand (American model) and a largely forgettable bout of light snow on the other (European).

The models have converged since then. The American GFS was out to lunch in some of its wild predictions (30 inches in DC? Really?), but the Euro was likely way too light and has adjusted its snow forecast higher over the past two days.

The reason for the starkly divergent forecasts could be traced to subtle differences in how the models were resolving pieces of atmospheric energy diving south out of Canada and a high pressure area over the Rockies. What we don’t know is why they were seeing things so differently.

No matter the outcome, we know this will get some Monday-morning quarterbacking in the weather world. We also won’t be surprised if a few officials say some public things about what little time they had to prepare.