A major storm hit the mid-Atlantic coast and northeast with a snow accumulation of more than a foot in some areas on Monday, and is expected to intensify Tuesday overnight. The National Weather Service said that areas from the northern Mid-Atlantic to southern New England experienced heavy snow and increasingly strong winds together with increasing waves along the coast that were predicted to cause coastal flooding overnight during high tides.
The NWS also said in a Monday afternoon briefing that more than 2 feet of snow could cover the region from Pennsylvania to Maine, including the metro areas of Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Unnecessary travel was discouraged by local emergency departments. On the coast, the NWS warned of flooding between 2 and 3 feet above ground level at high tide in and around Long Island. Strong winds gusting between 35 to 55 mph were predicted, causing near blizzard conditions. Courts and schools were closed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
New York City and New Jersey issued states of emergency and New York City put travel restrictions in place to keep nonessential personnel off the roads. Boston and area municipalities imposed parking bans, and most flights in and out of New York City and Boston airports Monday were canceled due to the heavy snow.
