US Northeast residents brace for late winter blizzard
NEW YORK: Forecasters put the US East Coast from New York City to Boston on a blizzard watch starting as early as Monday night, with authorities warning residents to prepare for the possibility of widespread power outages, road closures and flight disruptions.
Weather experts predicted the region could see 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) of wind-blasted snow from Monday to early Wednesday.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced preparations for the so-called Nor’easter storm, activating the state Emergency Operations Center as of Monday night while also directing state agencies to be on heightened alert.
“I encourage all New Yorkers in affected regions to plan ahead and avoid any unnecessary travel as the storm progresses,” Cuomo said in a statement, adding that commuters should expect road closures, delays and cancellations.
The storm also raised the potential for power outages with damaging winds across eastern Long Island and southeastern Connecticut, National Weather Service said.
Significant disruption to air travel in the region was also anticipated.
Blowing snow and strong winds could lead to whiteout conditions with visibility as poor as 400 meters, the service said. Sub-freezing temperatures were forecast in the upper 20s Fahrenheit (-2 to -4 degrees Celsius). the
New York City issued a snow alert for Monday night into Tuesday, expecting snowfall rates of up to 2 to 4 inches per hour on Tuesday morning with gusts of up to 50 mph.
Mayor Bill de Blasio warned New Yorkers that “besides the snow, it will be cold,” while officials recommended that people avoid driving and use mass transit when possible.