After a winter storm blanketed parts of the Northeast U.S. with snow on Saturday, New England is bracing for the next round of the snow on Sunday.
It's just a preview of what's forecast to be an even stronger and wider storm in the coming days, with the potential to bring snowfall not seen in years to several cities in the region.
Much of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the northeastern tip of Pennsylvania are under winter storm warnings or advisories on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The heavy snow is expected to further disrupt travel, especially at Boston's Logan International Airport, where 149 departing and incoming flights were canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
Record snow in central Pennsylvania
Central Pennsylvania, which was due for the state's highest amount of snowfall into Saturday evening, ended a record 346-day snow drought by the afternoon. The town of Hollidaysburg, between Pittsburgh and State College, had recorded the most snowfall in the past 24 hours at 7.5 inches, according to the NWS.
Hazardous travel conditions were affecting much of the region, said a NWS afternoon advisory, widely congesting roads. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation urged the public to postpone unnecessary travel.
On Sunday, forecasters warnedthat southeastern Pennsylvania could see some freezing rain and black ice. Northeastern Pennsylvania may also see some icy spots on bridges and overpasses as wintry conditions linger.
Heavy snow hits Massachusetts on Sunday
As the snow shifts northeast through Sunday afternoon, the Appalachian Mountains, the interior Northeast and New England could see up to a foot of snow in several areas, the NWS said in a Sunday night advisory.
Portions of central, eastern and western Massachusetts are forecast to receive between 8 to 12 inches of snow with wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour. A winter storm warning is in effect until 1 a.m. Monday.
The addition of gusty winds to heavy snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour will rapidly blanket area roads with snow and create limited visibility and dangerous travel conditions. Forecasters expect power outages and tree damage, especially in southern New England.
Greater Boston could see between 6 and 8 inches. The city's last big snowstorm was in late February 2022, when 8 inches fell.
Up to 5 inches could fall in Bridgeport, Conn., where Mayor Joe Ganim advised residents to stay home for the next couple of days.
"This is our biggest anticipated storm in two years," he said during a Saturday evening press conference.
Several cities are implementing parking bans to allow snow plows and first responders road access.
A bigger storm could soon strike the Midwest and Northeast
After a Monday lull, another major storm expected on Tuesday and Wednesday threatens snow, ice, rain, flooding and strong winds, the NWS said.
Parts of the Plains and the Midwest could see blizzard conditions starting Monday night before the storm moves to the Northeast through Wednesday.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
