Thousands of flights have already been cancelled and people are asked to stay off roads with much of the region under blizzard warnings from Monday afternoon through Tuesday night.
— Alisha Holecek (@AlishaHolecek) January 26, 2015
The National Weather Service described the upcoming storm as “a crippling and potentially historic blizzard” that could impact Northeastern states from New Jersey to Maine.
— NWS Gray (@NWSGray) January 25, 2015
New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management warned of difficult travel, while the Connecticut Department of Transportation announced its “entire fleet of snow plows will be ready to respond to the storm,” said Gov. Dannel P Malloy.
“Although storms can be unpredictable, this storm has the potential to have a significant impact on the state and we need to be prepared,” Malloy said in a statement.
Expecting to see between two and three feet of snow, New York City Mayor urged residents not to “underestimate this storm” and to prepare for the worst.
Heavy snow and strong winds have already hit the city that never sleeps.
— Aïssata66 (@Aissata74) January 26, 2015
Some areas are expecting whiteout conditions.
Others panicked about the impact it could leave, stripping supermarket shelves of food.
— Barbara Bianchi (@gfhomestead) January 3, 2014
This whiteout is not new for residents in the region. In 2006, Central Park saw 26.9 inches of snow falling over 16 hours, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management.
More than 1,800 flights scheduled for Monday and 1,700 for Tuesday have been cancelled due to what the National Weather Service called “life threatening conditions and extremely dangerous travel.” Ground transportation has been halted as well in northeastern states.
In its Sunday bulletin, the National Weather Service said: “Do not travel. If you must travel…have a winter survival kit with you."
Expecting between 20 and 30 inches of snow by Tuesday evening, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a state of emergency, declaring a partial shutdown of the public transportation system and closure of some city roads after sundown.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 26, 2015
He also urged drivers to stay off the roads and said that he would consider a travel ban on all city roads starting at 11pm.
"Mother Nature has decided once again to come visit us in an extreme way," Cuomo said. "This is a serious blizzard that should not be taken lightly. There will be dangerous and difficult conditions."
