A winter storm warning has been issued to over 20 million people in the Northeast on Friday as several areas could see their largest snow totals in over three years.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that residents in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut are in the direct path of the storm that is expected to slam the region starting around 4pm ET.
Parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia have also been placed under a winter weather advisory and could see snow this weekend.
New York is expected to take the brunt of the storm, with four to eight inches of snow predicted in the heart of the city.
According to Matt Brickman of NBC 4 New York, Friday’s storm could deliver the most snow New York has seen since January 2022.
Up to a foot of snow has been predicted for northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of upstate New York.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys warned: ‘This fast-moving storm will pack a punch in the Northeast right after Christmas. Holiday travelers should prepare for major slowdowns on roads and at airports.’
Travelers in the New York area have already been impacted by the storm as over 200 flights have been cancelled at John F Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International Airports Friday morning.
This is a breaking story. More details to follow.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Northeast, including New York City, where four to eight inches of snow may fall Friday night
New York City has not seen this much snow since January 2022 according to meteorologists (Stock Image)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already announced that an official ground stop or delay may be issued at all three major airports in the New York City area starting at 4pm.
A record 122million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles during the final two weeks of December. Nearly 110million of those holiday travelers will be driving, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
AccuWeather meteorologists have forecasted that the Tri-State Area, including New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut could see nine inches of snow fall by Saturday afternoon.
The fast-moving storm is expected to clear out by 1pm on Saturday, but not before impacting millions of post-Christmas travelers returning home this weekend.
Before the storm reached the East Coast, the AccuWeather team noted that travel disruptions due to icy roads are also expected to hit the Great Lakes region, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.
‘Travel plans could be delayed or disrupted for millions of people trying to visit loved ones or returning home after Christmas. The busy period for shopping, gift exchanges and returns after Christmas may also be impacted,’ Roys added in a statement.
NWS has also issued an ice storm warning throughout central and western Pennsylvania, potentially causing blackouts as ice weighs down local power lines and causing dangerous road conditions.
‘Freezing rain, sleet, and snow are all on the table for this system. Travel will become treacherous after the onset of precipitation,’ NWS officials in State College, Pennsylvania posted on Facebook Friday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings (Pink), winter weather advisories (Blue), and ice storm warnings (Purple) throughout the Northeast on Friday
Friday night’s snowstorm is expected to impact millions of holiday travelers driving and flying this weekend (Stock Image)
Friday’s fast-moving snowstorm is the third winter blast, also called a clipper, to move across the northern US this week.
A clipper on Tuesday night brought the first wave of snow to New England and upstate New York, while major cities to the south saw a brief mix of sleet and rain on Christmas Eve Eve.
A much smaller system passed through in the Ohio Valley, the mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and New England, bringing a mix of rain, snow, and ice on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Friday night into Saturday’s storm is projected to be the biggest of the bunch, and could upend one of the busiest travel days of the entire year – the day after Christmas.
AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist, Chad Merrill, said: ‘The snow will quickly accumulate on paved surfaces and pile up fast, making for dangerous travel overnight Friday. Snowplows will be out in full force clearing the snow, with most of it falling in a 12-hour span late Friday.’
