Heavy Blizzard Sweeps The Northeast

A heavy winter snowstorm pummeled the Northeast late Monday night and into Tuesday morning, canceling flights and school days and wreaking havoc for commuters.

Winter storm advisories have been issued for Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and up through New England. Many city and state authorities are asking residents to stay off the roads when possible to allow emergency and snow removal employees to do their work.

The snowfall, rain, icy conditions and cold temperatures are expected to last throughout much of the day, tapering off in the evening for cities such as Washington, D.C., and New York as the storm moves further north.

Snow and sleet was coming down hard Tuesday morning in New York City at the onset of a storm that thwarted travel plans, snarled subway service and brought city life grinding to a near halt. On the west side of Manhattan, fluffy, white snow coated the borough's sidewalks, while Brooklyn and Queens were pounded with rain and sleet.

But the city, which was predicting on Monday up to 2 feet of snow from the blizzard, lowered its expectations Tuesday to a more manageable half a foot or so.

"Just because it's not as bad as predicted in terms of snowfall doesn't mean it's good," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday. "It is dangerous. The roads are dangerous."

Out on Long Island, predictions of calamitous snowfall also came up short. Projections decreased significantly across the island as snow mixed with sleet and rain Tuesday morning. Parts of Nassau County were still predicted to see up to 6 inches of snow, but on the East End experts revised their expectations down to a mere 1-3 inches.

But while the city and Long Island appeared to be spared the worst possible impact, parts of New Jersey found itself facing the brunt of the storm.

Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency after the blizzard was predicted to dump as much as 2 feet of snow over much of New Jersey. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning in 13 counties for a nor'easter that could bury the state with anywhere from 4 to 24 inches of snow.

Christie said the severe winter storm is also expected to bring winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour, freezing temperatures, widespread coastal flooding and hazardous whiteout travel conditions.

"During these threatening conditions, I urge all New Jerseyans to remain off the roads so our first responders and public safety officers can safely and efficiently handle emergency situations," he said.

Meteorologists predicted Tuesday morning that the Boston area would accumulate about 9 inches deep of snow by early evening. The storm track moved a bit west from its initial forecast, so the worst storm's course veered west of Route 495, farther out from the city and its suburbs. Up to 2 feet was still feared in central Massachusetts late Tuesday morning. In southeastern part of the state, heavy snow was expected turn to rain, which along with strong wind gusts, risks major power outages.

Photo credit: Cody Fenwick, Patch Staff