The first storm of the New Year brought snow on Monday to multiple states in the northeastern U.S. and left hundreds of thousands of people in the southeast without power.
A flurry of warnings and alerts were issued by the National Weather Service, which forecast heavy snow and high winds.
Up to seven inches of snow was forecast in parts of Maryland and up to 10 inches could accumulate in Washington and Virginia, according to the service.
The bulk of the snowfall was expected to come down before noon, though some areas may see additional accumulation in the early afternoon, forecasters said.
They warned people of slippery roads and low visibility, which would make travel difficult.
In addition, a hurricane-force wind warning was in effect, bringing gusts of up to 74 miles per hour.
Some snow was also expected to drop in parts of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware on Monday.
The weather prompted closures, including federal offices in the nation’s capital and multiple school systems. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for five counties due to the snow.
“The anticipated winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, wind gusts, and coastal flooding in parts of Southern New Jersey,” Murphy said in a statement Sunday. “Residents should stay off the roads, remain vigilant, and follow all safety protocols.”
Portions of the southeast, meanwhile, were without power due to inclement weather.
Over 280,000 households in the Carolinas didn’t have power Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.US. Another nearly 200,000 homes in Georgia and Tennessee were also without electricity.
Forecasters issued a winter storm warning for parts of Tennessee, predicting snow accumulations of up to six inches in higher elevations and three inches elsewhere.
One to three inches of “heavy wet snow” was expected to fall in northern Georgia, but the storm was projected to move on after 9 a.m.
The storm sent temperatures plunging overnight after a warm Christmas season, which saw multiple high-temperature records broken in recent days.
On the other side of the country, snow warnings were also in effect.
Accumulations of up to two feet were forecast in northern California and parts of Oregon and Washington state, the National Weather Service said.
Blizzard conditions with barely any visibility were possible in some of the areas, and people were warned that travel could be “very difficult to impossible.”
Airlines have been affected by weather recently, as well as staffing issues. Another 2,888 flights were canceled or delayed as of early Monday, according to the tracker FlightAware.
From The Epoch Times
