Snowfall across the Northeast is expected to result in “significant” travel disruptions for millions of Americans on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, as more than 1,100 flights have been canceled while heavy snow impacts New York and other cities in the region for the first time in years.
Snow is cleared off the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.
The New York State Department of Transportation issued a warning for anyone traveling on Interstate 84 and all state roadways amid heavy snow and strong winds, while the National Weather Service urged travelers in New York City and Long Island to use “extra caution or simply avoid travel.”
Rush hour on the Interstate 95 corridor through most of the Northeast—including portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York—will be affected by heavy snow, which will likely cause “great havoc” for travelers, forecasters warned.
Some parts of southern New England will experience up to 12 inches of snow, which will create “locally significant travel disruptions” with strong winds and heavy, wet snow that “may result in downed trees and power lines,” the agency said.
Travel could be “very difficult” south of Pennsylvania, the agency noted, as “heavy, wet snow” will impact areas of northern Virginia and portions of Maryland and West Virginia.
The winter storm will also result in significant power outages, the National Weather Service said, with 11,861 people already without power in Pennsylvania, where the heaviest snowfall—including some areas forecast for more than 12 inches of snow—is expected.
1,166. That’s how many flights have been canceled across the U.S. as of 9:30 a.m. EST Tuesday, according to FlightAware. Of these, most cancellations affect airports in the Northeast, including 43% of flights out of LaGuardia Airport, 27% of flights at Boston Logan International, 26% at Newark Liberty International and 17% at John F. Kennedy International.
Snowfall rates are expected to decline through the early afternoon, the National Weather Service said, though some cities will likely be hit with the most snow since 2022 with snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour. Bridgeport, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and New York City—which issued its first winter storm warning in two years—are each forecast for up to 8 inches of snow, the most for each city since Jan. 29, 2022, according to CNN. Boston could receive up to 6 inches of snow, a level the city hasn’t reached since Feb. 25, 2022.
Despite the winter storm warning and travel advisories, New York City Mayor Eric Adams noted polling sites across Queens and the Bronx will remain open Tuesday. Voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District will participate in a special election to replace ousted Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.)
NYC Becomes Target Of Winter Storm, Forecasters Say—Here’s When It Could Hit (Forbes)