A powerful nor’easter is rapidly intensifying off the Mid-Atlantic coast and is expected to slam more than 90 million people in New York City and much of the Northeast with heavy snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions on Feb. 22.
Forecasters say the storm could drop up to 2 feet of snow – or more – across parts of the New York City region, with snow rates occasionally exceeding 2 inches per hour, reducing visibility and making travel extremely dangerous.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has already declared a state of emergency for more than 20 counties, activating the New York National Guard.
The storm also disrupted air travel in the region. Nearly half of all flights in and out of New York City’s three major airports – John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty – have been canceled with additional ground stops possible as the storm intensifies.
Beyond the city, the storm poses a major threat to the coastal and inland Northeast. Long Island, eastern New Jersey and southeastern New England are expected to see potentially record-breaking snow, while strong east-to-northeast winds could trigger coastal flooding, especially along western Long Island Sound and parts of Massachusetts.
