Millions of residents in parts of the northeastern U.S. are stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings as a fierce winter storm threatens the…<\/p>\n
NEW YORK(AP) \u2014 Millions of people in New York City and a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings<\/a> on Monday as a fierce winter storm barreled into the densely populated region with heavy snowfall and high winds.<\/p>\n Cellphones across New York City received wailing push alerts Sunday night announcing a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets through noon Monday because of \u201cdangerous blizzard conditions.\u201d Rhode Island and New Jersey implemented similar restrictions. Regional airports saw widespread cancellations and delays, and public transit was suspended in some areas. Even DoorDash announced it was suspending deliveries in New York City overnight.<\/p>\n Blizzard warnings stretched from Maryland to Maine. Snow began falling Sunday as the storm moved north, and the National Weather Service said 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in many areas, along with low visibility. Officials in several states urged people to avoid venturing out.<\/p>\n Emergencies were declared in New York, Philadelphia and other cities, as well as several states stretching from Delaware to Massachusetts as officials mobilized readiness efforts. <\/p>\n \u201cWe expect things to dramatically change here\u201d heading into the overnight, weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said Sunday. \u201cThe storm is continuing to develop, and as it does, as it continues to strengthen and move to the north, we\u2019re expecting conditions to rapidly deteriorate.\u201d<\/p>\n Pereira added that the storm could possibly become a bomb cyclone<\/a>, which is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re expecting it to drop by that magnitude at least over the course of the next 24 hours,\u201d he said. \u201cI think when all is said and done, it will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The weather service said some of the heaviest snow was expected to fall overnight, with as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n New York City and Boston canceled public school classes for Monday, while Philadelphia will switch to online learning. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the \u201cfirst old-school snow day since 2019.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cAnd to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, outreach workers worked to coax homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelters and warming centers. <\/p>\n Various landmarks and cultural institutions announced closures Monday, from New York’s Museum of Modern Art to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Broadway shows were canceled Sunday evening.<\/p>\n The weather service said the storm\u2019s strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions and warned of a \u201cPotentially Historic\/Destructive Storm\u201d southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor.<\/p>\n \u201cWinds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages<\/a>,\u201d said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service\u2019s Boston office. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSome of the heaviest snow forecast for overnight Sunday into Monday <\/p>\n
\nPreparations for major snow clearing <\/p>\n