Millions of people in the Northeast are bracing for a weekend nor’easter that could dump more than a foot of snow in heavily populated areas, cause power outages, and coastal flooding.
“A winter storm with significant impacts is becoming increasingly likely in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Sunday into Monday,” the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote in an X post on Feb. 20.
The powerful blast of winter weather is expected to bring a combination of heavy snow and wind from Philadelphia up to Boston.
“Snowfall rates over 1 [inch] per hour will occur at times,” the NWS warned.
Some areas near the coast of New Jersey could receive 15 inches of snow by Monday night, according to predictions by the NWS.
New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport could accumulate just over a foot of snow by Monday night.
As of 9:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 20, the airport has not canceled any flights on Saturday or Sunday ahead of the storm, according to FlightAware.com.
“Starting Saturday, we begin pre-snow operations—mounting plows, loading salt spreaders, and preparing our crews,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote in an X post on Feb. 20.
“New York City Department of Sanitation will move to 12-hour shifts Sunday, with more than 5,000 workers rotating day and night to keep our streets clear.”
Long Island and the coast of Southern Connecticut could see more than 6 inches of snow.
Residents in Boston are set to experience waves of winter weather as Massachusetts will be hit with two separate storm systems over the weekend.
The first winter storm could dump up to 3 inches of snow in Boston Friday into Saturday before the new system sweeps in on Sunday and blankets the city and surrounding areas with more snow.
“With snow falling, our crews are loading up with salt to treat roadways,” Boston Public Works shared in an X post on Feb. 20.
“The forecast is calling for a mix of precipitation into Saturday, so if you’re traveling—please take your time.”
Meteorologists with the NWS warned about coastal flooding in addition to the snowfall.
New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut may experience widespread “minor to moderate” coastal flooding Sunday night into Monday morning, the NWS added.
People who reside in central and eastern Long Island, located to the east of NYC, could see gusts up to 55 mph on Sunday night.