A rapidly strengthening nor’easter is gathering force along the East Coast, with snow already falling across parts of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast as of Sunday morning.
Where is the blizzard right now?
According to NBC New York, light snow is spreading from the Great Lakes into parts of upstate New York and Pennsylvania, while areas along the Interstate 95 corridor — including New York City and Philadelphia — began the day with rain due to temperatures just above freezing.
Forecasters say colder air is steadily pushing south and east, setting the stage for a widespread changeover to snow.
Meanwhile, AccuWeather reports that the storm is intensifying and is expected to evolve into a bomb cyclone from Sunday into Monday, bringing blizzard conditions to coastal sections of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England.
When will the blizzard reach New York?
Rain in New York City is expected to mix with and transition to snow by late Sunday morning or early afternoon, NBC New York reported. However, the heaviest snowfall is not forecast to begin until late afternoon or early evening.
AccuWeather’s timeline shows snow developing in Philadelphia around 1 pm Sunday and spreading to the Jersey Shore and New York City by roughly 4 pm Conditions are expected to rapidly deteriorate Sunday evening as winds strengthen and snowfall intensifies.
A blizzard warning takes effect at 1 pm Sunday for all five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, parts of Connecticut and much of New Jersey. The warning remains in place through 6 pm Monday.
How severe will it be?
Forecasts call for 12 to 18 inches of snow across New York City, central New Jersey and Nassau County, with higher totals — potentially up to two feet — farther east.
Nearly 40 million people from Delaware through southern New England could experience blizzard conditions, with sustained winds of at least 35 mph and visibility reduced to a quarter mile or less for three consecutive hours.
Wind gusts could reach up to 70 mph in some areas through Monday, increasing the risk of power outages and making travel nearly impossible at times.
Officials across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware have issued emergency declarations and activated emergency operations centers as the storm approaches.
With conditions expected to worsen quickly Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, residents are being urged to complete preparations immediately as one of the most significant winter storms in recent years bears down on the Northeast.
