New York Faces Season’s Heaviest Snow as Storm Comes East

(Bloomberg) -- New York City faces its heaviest snow of the season as a slow-moving winter storm moves up the East Coast, snarling road, rail, and air traffic across the Northeast.

Central Park could get from 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of snow with as much as 18 inches in the suburbs, said Rob Carolan, owner of Hometown Forecast Services Inc. While warmer air could later bring rain across parts of the region, the city is still “in the sweet spot down there” for snow accumulation, Carolan said.

“It’s going to be a day people want to stay inside,” he said. “Somebody in the Poconos and somebody in northern New Jersey could end up with two feet.”

New York City has declared an emergency and ordered non-essential vehicles off the road as of 6 a.m., according to a statement. New Jersey has also declared an emergency, shutting state offices.

Winter storm warnings and advisories stretch from Tennessee to Maine, according to the National Weather Service. Chicago got 9 inches in some areas as the storm passed through on Saturday. At Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, 2.3 inches fell, but more snow could drop later, said Rich Otto, a forecaster with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. Government offices are open in Washington, according to Office of Personnel Management.

Large winter systems commonly snarl road, rail and air traffic, as well as spark power outages.

As of 8:30 a.m. in New York, 2,682 flights had been canceled in the U.S. through Tuesday, according to FlightAware, an airline tracking service.

The bulk of Monday’s cancellations in the U.S. were at both of New York’s airports, as well as Newark, Washington and Boston. Amtrak has canceled Acela service between Boston and Washington, which passes through New York, and will operate other services on a limited schedule, the government-run railroad said on its website.

Metro North is canceling its Monday late-night trains on its Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines, the commuter railroad said on its website. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced its Manhattan bus terminal will shut down Monday, and New Jersey Transit rail operations will also be suspended.

In addition to the snow, coastal flood warnings and advisories were issued for Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, as well as parts of Long Island, the weather service said.

All New York City vaccination centers and all in-school instruction will be closed due to the weather. Mayor Bill de Blasio predicted at least 14 to 16 inches of snow could hit the most populous U.S. city by Tuesday.

“This is not a storm to underestimate,” he said during a news briefing Sunday. “Take it seriously. This is a dangerous storm.”

The postponed Covid-19 shots will be rescheduled as quickly as possible, the mayor said. “Last thing we want to do is urge our seniors to come out in the middle of a storm like this. It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “We’ll get them done as quickly as humanly possible. But it’s just not going to be safe out there on Monday.”

New Jersey has also closed its six vaccine mega-sites, according to a statement.

So far this year, Central Park has received 12.6 inches of snow, including 2 inches that fell yesterday, or just about normal for winter so far, the National Weather Service said. Totals through Tuesday will be higher on the northern side of the city and less in southern boroughs, the U.S. Weather Prediction Center’s Otto said. Some earlier forecast had parts of New York getting 20 inches or more.

Rain has crept into parts of the Mid-Atlantic and could seep into coastal New England and eastern Long Island, limiting snow accumulation. Philadelphia will probably end up to 5 inches of snow, with Boston getting up to 11 and Montauk, New York, getting 6.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.