A winter storm dropping snow and treacherous ice on parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast started snarling travel and knocking out power Friday — and its heaviest snow is still to come.
Hundreds of flights have been delayed or canceled at New York's three major airports along with Philadelphia International Airport, with the hubs topping the list of national cancelations, according to FlightAware.
And more than 40,000 homes and businesses lost power in Michigan as ice weighs on trees and power lines, according to poweroutage.us.
More than 23 million people are under winter storm warnings through Saturday — including New York City, which could see its biggest snowfall since 2022.
The warnings are in effect for an area from New York City northeast into Connecticut, east to Long Island, and southwest into northern New Jersey. Interior portions of New York, including the Hudson Valley, Albany and Binghamton, are also in the warning area.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochuldeclared a state of emergencyon Friday afternoon for counties bracing for impact from the powerful winter storm.
A state of emergency went into effect in New Jersey at 1 p.m. ET Friday, acting Gov. Tahesha Wayannounced, urging people to avoid travel during the storm. The stateannounced travel restrictionsfor some commercial vehicles, such as semitrailers, on interstates starting Friday afternoon. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamontalso advisedmotorists not to travel Friday evening.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for Philadelphia, where the fast-moving storm will bring a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain Friday.
The New York City and Philadelphia metros could see snow and sleet by Friday afternoon that will continue overnight. Snow totals in the Tri-State area could be between 5 to 9 inches, with heavy snow possible at times Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
A narrow zone of 8 to 12 inches of snow is predicted to fall from Long Island, New York, into Connecticut and parts of New York State north of New York City, according to the NWS.
Forecasts predict New York City could see up to 11 inches of snow, particularly in northeast Queens and northern areas of the city, Mayor Eric Adams announced in a Friday press conference.
City workers have been gearing up for days, with additional staff on standby to respond to the storm. Preparations are already in full swing, including salting the streets, readying plows and early closure of the ferry ahead of heavy snowfall .
Exact totals are still uncertain since it will depend on where any heavier bands of snow develop in relation to the Big Apple, but some spots north and west of the city could pick up more than 8 inches of snow. Also, if sleet mixes in with the snow in New York City it could lessen accumulations there.
The last time New York City saw a snowstorm of at least 4 inches was January 7, 2022. That snow-starved streak could end by Saturday as the storm moves out of the region during the morning.
Philadelphia is expected to see a heavy mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain, with the potential for 1 to 3 inches of snow and sleet accumulation. How much snow versus sleet, freezing rain and rain the metro area will see depends on exactly where cold air meets the storm's moisture.
An ice storm warning for ice accumulations of 0.2 to 0.3 inches, which is enough to cause damage to trees and power lines, is in effect in western Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh and west of Altoona, through Saturday morning. The icy mix of precipitation, including snow in northeastern Pennsylvania, broke out across the state as of midday Friday. "Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible," the NWS stated.
Farther south, Washington, DC, is seeing mainly rain from this storm system, although some sleet and freezing rain is falling in northern areas of Maryland.
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