A powerful winter storm has struck the US Northeast, leading to travel bans, school closures, and flight cancellations. The National Weather Service has issued warnings of heavy snow and strong winds affecting major cities from Washington to Boston. Snowfall rates of up to three inches per hour are expected, with some areas facing totals of two feet, causing extremely challenging travel conditions.
Blizzard warnings have been issued across the region, with New York City implementing a travel ban and closing schools for the first time since 2019. New Jersey and Rhode Island have also imposed travel restrictions, and several states have declared emergencies due to the storm’s intensity.
Air travel has been significantly disrupted, with airlines canceling thousands of flights in Boston and New York. Boston and eastern Massachusetts are forecasted to receive up to two feet of snow accompanied by wind gusts of 75 miles per hour, termed as a potentially historic and destructive storm by the Weather Service.
Washington, D.C., is expecting several inches of wet snow, leading to delays in federal agencies and school closures. Coastal flooding is a concern from Delaware to Cape Cod due to strong onshore winds, with warnings of potential structural damage and roadway inundation. Nearly 54 million people are under winter storm or blizzard warnings from the central Appalachians to coastal Maine. The storm is projected to move away from northern New England by Tuesday morning.
