A major cross-country winter storm is tracking eastward, placing tens of millions of Americans under weather alerts. After bringing snow to the central U.S. on Monday, the system is poised to become the first significant winter storm of the season for the East Coast.
In anticipation of hazardous conditions, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for several northwestern counties, effective 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, citing threats of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The state’s Department of Transportation is mobilizing road crews, and officials are urging drivers to be cautious. Similarly, New York Governor Kathy Hochul advised residents in upstate regions to prepare, confirming that state agencies and plow crews are ready to respond.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings across New England, from Albany, New York, to Portland, Maine. The agency predicts that much of the Mid-Atlantic and New England will experience “enhanced winter precipitation and possible gusty winds.”
Overnight Monday, 2 to 5 inches of snow are expected in the Midwest, with 3 to 6 inches forecast for the Ohio Valley. By Tuesday morning, heavy snow is predicted to stretch from Pittsburgh and Cleveland into western and upstate New York. Pittsburgh is under a winter weather advisory for 2 to 5 inches of snow.
For inland areas of the Northeast, the NWS warns the “threat for significant snow accumulations…is rising,” with more than 6 inches possible north and west of the I-95 corridor. Some parts of New England could see localized totals of 6 to 12 inches through early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, major cities along the coast from Washington, D.C., to Boston are expected to receive primarily heavy rain through Tuesday afternoon.
The storm system is forecast to move off the coast late Tuesday night. It arrives just as the country recovers from a separate system that brought significant snowfall and holiday travel disruptions to the Midwest over the weekend.
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