East Coast blizzard: NYC sees 12,000 flights delayed as nor’easter expected to bring 18 inches of snow

Cities and towns across the East Coast are bracing for a severe winter storm, with forecasters issuing blizzard alerts from Maryland to Massachusetts. The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that the storm, expected to intensify significantly on Sunday, could prove far more severe than initial projections suggested just days ago.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for major metropolitan areas, including New York City, Long Island, Boston, and coastal communities spanning New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The NWS predicts between 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 centimeters) of snow in many areas, with potential for flooding in parts of New York and New Jersey.

Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the NWS Weather Prediction Center, highlighted the unusual scale of the impending weather event.

"While we do get plenty of these nor'easters that produce heavy snow and strong impacts, it's been several years since we saw one of this magnitude across this large of a region in this very populated part of the country," he stated.

Major carriers, including Delta, American, and United, have grounded flights in the New York City area and Boston’s Logan Airport ahead of a massive nor’easter. JetBlue alone cut 40% of its Sunday schedule, according to FlightAware data.

Over 3,000 flights have been axed and at least 12,000 delayed at New York’s major airports as a historic blizzard threatens to bury the region in at least two feet of snow.

With perilous conditions expected to batter the Northeast on Sunday, several major airlines grounded flights Saturday at key hubs, including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and airports in Philadelphia and Boston. The number is expected to skyrocket once snow begins to fall, according to FOX Weather.

The storm is anticipated to begin as rainfall in some locations before worsening, with the heaviest snowfall projected for overnight Sunday into Monday. Some areas could experience up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour before conditions ease by Monday afternoon. Gusts reaching 55 mph (80 kph) are expected, creating whiteout conditions that "will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening." The combination of strong winds and heavy snow could also lead to downed power lines and widespread outages.

Officials have been scrambling to adjust their preparations, as earlier forecasts had indicated a much more limited impact.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the rapid change in predictions, stating: "We saw on Friday there was expectation that the likelihood was that we were going to face maybe 3 to 4 inches of snow. Quickly that then changed. So we want to make sure that we make a decision based on up-to-date and accurate information."

The city is expanding its snow-clearing efforts, deploying additional equipment and utilising geocoding to manage bus stops and crosswalks.

The impending storm has prompted businesses to prepare for extensive operations. John Berlingieri, who runs Berrington Snow Management on Long Island, canceled a family trip to Puerto Rico to ready his company for what he described as a "mammoth task" of clearing millions of square feet of asphalt.

His employees spent days recharging equipment and replacing wipers, with Berlingieri anticipating "at least one week of work around the clock. We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back."

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, officials have urged residents and casino visitors to avoid streets, particularly in low-lying areas susceptible to flooding.

Scott Evans, the city's fire chief and emergency management coordinator, warned, "I could go on and on probably with a good two dozen streets where we know we will get water and there will be snow on top of that. So you won’t be able to see it until it's too late. So therefore please stay at home."

The storm's arrival comes as the icy remnants of a previous snowstorm were finally melting away. Across the region, many churches have canceled Sunday services and other activities, with St. Veronica Parish in Howell, New Jersey, adding an extra Mass on Saturday evening. The Rev. Peter James Alindogan posted online, urging parishioners: "Please stay safe, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep one another in prayer during the storm."