The nor’easter – an East Coast storm with winds blowing from the northeast – could bring accumulations of 31cm to 61cm to the country’s most densely populated region before tapering off on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
By early Monday afternoon, the nor’easter had dumped as much as 48cm of snow in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and 43cm in parts of New York City.
More than 33cm had accumulated in Manhattan’s Central Park, as bands of snow began moving north into New England.
If the blizzard achieves its maximum potential, it would be the first winter storm to generate more than 61cm of snow in New York City since 2016, when a record-breaking blizzard dumped 70cm on the country’s most populous city, according to the weather service.
Damaging winds of 48 to 64kph were forecast along the New Jersey coast. In Massachusetts, the weather service forecast gusts up to 97kph on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
“It’s the storm of the century!” predicted snowplough operator James Carew, 56, of Union, New Jersey, who said he had been clearing snow for the past 30 years.
The storm’s intensity and the rapid buildup of snow means multiple visits to clear residential driveways like the one he was ploughing in Maplewood, New Jersey. “This is a 10 out of 10 for storms,” Carew said early Monday afternoon.
Winter storm warnings and weather advisories were in place across the Northeast. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on Sunday, suspending public bus and commuter rail service for all of Monday.
In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed restrictions on non-essential travel starting at 6am EST on Monday due to heavy snowfall and strong winds expected to batter the city.
De Blasio also announced the suspension of in-person learning at the city’s public schools through Tuesday.
New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in the city and 44 other counties, and warned of possible road closures in the hours ahead.
“This is a dangerous situation. A life-threatening situation,” Cuomo told a noontime news conference. “Expect closures. It’s going to get very bad very quickly.”
Outdoor subway service in New York City was suspended as of 2pm EST, officials said. Upwards of 90% of flights at New York City-area airports have been cancelled, according to Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and operations at La Guardia and John F Kennedy airports in Queens have been suspended.
The PATH commuter train service linking Manhattan and New Jersey also suspended service as of 3pm EST, Cotton said.
The stormy weather affected more than just roads and travel as Covid-19 vaccination sites and testing locations were forced to close or change their schedules.
All six vaccine mega-sites across New Jersey were closed on Monday, and vaccine appointments were rescheduled at many New York state-run sites. Vaccinations and testing were also suspended at New York City public hospitals and health centres.
De Blasio said that, with the city facing up to 56cm of snow, vaccinations would be postponed on Tuesday as well. “The storm is disrupting our vaccination effort, and we need to keep people safe,” he told a news briefing.
In Boston, health officials announced the closure Monday of a Covid-19 vaccine clinic at the Reggie Lewis Center, a large indoor sports centre.
Still, some Northeasterners greeted the heavy snowfall with excitement, taking to social media to share photos of streets, parks and backyards blanketed with the white stuff, as well as happy pets playing in the snow.
“The amount of snow in my backyard is insane! Plus it’s still snowing! It’s halfway up the back fence,” New York City resident Sarah posted on Twitter.