A severe winter storm has made post-Christmas road travel exceedingly perilous in areas of the Northeast, as well as delivering snow and ice to New York City.
The storm is also affecting flights. More than 1,500 flights were canceled on Friday, with New York City’s three airports and Philadelphia International Airport being the hardest hit.
Over 500 flights were canceled on Saturday.
New Jersey and New York were declared states of emergency.
“Please continue to monitor your local forecast, avoid unnecessary travel, and if you must travel, take all necessary precautions to ensure you arrive safely,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
Heavy snow is forecast to impact sections of New York, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
The hardest snow began to fall in the tristate area on Friday afternoon and will continue through the night, making travel from Philadelphia to New York City to Albany challenging.
The snow began hitting New York City around 5 p.m. Friday and was predicted to continue overnight, ending around 7 a.m. Earlier, New York City was expected to get approximately 7 inches of snow, the heaviest in nearly four years.
However, the National Weather Service later changed its forecast, stating that the mix of precipitation had pushed further northeast, decreasing the projected snowfall totals in New York City and northeast Jersey.
Instead, the New York City area was forecast to have 2 to 5 inches, with some areas experiencing 6 inches, particularly to the north. A “glaze of ice” from freezing rain was also forecast.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared it a “significant snow event” and said plows would hit the streets later Friday night.
Six to ten inches of snow are likely from upstate New York to Long Island.
Philadelphia will anticipate 1 to 3 inches of snow and a layer of ice, making driving difficult on Friday night.
On Friday morning, freezing rain came into Pennsylvania, leaving deadly ice on roads throughout the state. An ice storm warning is in effect for sections of western Pennsylvania, where multiple power outages and toppled trees are possible.
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