Northeast Braces for 'Potentially Worst-Ever' Snowstorm; Up to 3 Feet of Snow, 75 mph Wind
Millions of people in the Northeast are bracing for a potentially historic storm, which threatens to trigger massive power outages and has already led to cancellation of 1,422 flights. It has the potential for blizzard conditions and 2 to 3 feet of snow.
"This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday at a press conference.
"Winter Storm Juno," as dubbed by the Weather Channel, is expected to fall in an area spanning from northern New Jersey to southern Maine Monday through Wednesday.
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"My message for New Yorkers is prepare for something worse than we have ever seen before ... Whatever normal precautions you take in advance of a storm, take even more. Stay safe," the mayor added.
While blizzard conditions could affect more than 28 million people, snow could disrupt travel plans of millions more.
While airlines have cancelled 1,422 flights for Monday, another 1,012 flights have also been cancelled for Tuesday and that number is expected to rise, FlightAware.com has warned.
Another 11 million could see a winter storm, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued blizzard warnings from the New Jersey shore all the way to Downeast Maine, including the cities of New York City, Boston, Providence, Hartford and Portland, from Monday afternoon through late Tuesday night.
"Unless forecasts change between now and tomorrow evening, people across Massachusetts should presume that roads on Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday, will be very hard, if not impossible, to navigate, that power outages are a distinct possibility, and that most forms of public transportation may not be available," Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said in a statement.
"It's one thing to get a foot or more of snow," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told USA Today. "You throw in 30 to 40 mile-per-hour winds and it's a recipe for disaster."
Washington, D.C. could also see some light snow accumulations from late Sunday into Monday, but the heaviest amounts will likely stay to the north and west of the city. The Philadelphia area, especially from the city east into southern New Jersey, could also see more than 6 inches of snow.
Parts of eastern and southern New England, including Boston, Providence, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine, have the potential to see 2 feet of snow. Snowfall rates of more than 2 inches per hour are possible during the peak of the storm Monday night into Tuesday.
"This is a major, potentially historic snowstorm for the Northeast and easily the biggest of the 2014-15 winter season so far," according to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "Expect extreme impacts from eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey through New England, peaking Monday night through Tuesday. Avoid all travel, as it will be extremely dangerous with blizzard or near-blizzard conditions likely."
"We're ready to respond to potential large-scale extended power outages and collapsed roofs," Michael De Vulpillieres, American Red Cross spokesperson, was quoted as saying. "We see a higher instance of home fires and more severe fires in extreme weather like this, so we really urge people to be as safe as possible when heating their homes."
