More than 90 million people across the United States are bracing themselves for hazardous weather conditions, with 37 states placed under winter weather alerts due to heavy snow and ice.
Friday morning in the US was marked with the cancellation of more than 2,300 flights, with northeastern schools and workplaces being shuttered due to blizzards. According to AccuWeather.com, the Northeast snowstorm could evolve into the winter season’s first “bomb cyclone.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a winter storm advisory, recommending that people stay at home if possible, while the governor of New Jersey Phil Murphey had to go further and declare a state of emergency, urging residents "to stay off the roads, stay updated, and stay safe."
New York City was covered by more than 8 inches of snow in some spots, with even Mayor Eric Adams taking to Twitter to share a video of him weathering the winter storm.
In New England, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted a “quick-hitting nor’easter” storm that could result in “disruptive snowfall” at the end of the week. Pomfret, Connecticut, and North Weymouth, Massachusetts both marked 13 inches of snow, according to AccuWeather.com.
In Massachusetts, snowstorm-related accidents even led to a fatality, when a vehicle went off the road in Freetown, according to state police.
Federal offices in the area of Washington, DC have been closed amid the winter weather.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rockies, the NWS warned of “heavy mountain snow and gusty winds” after “a stretch of very active and wintry weather” in the region. According to the forecasters, the weather conditions have exacerbated the already growing concerns for avalanches.