A major winter storm that dumped snow and ice across the Midwest overnight was barreling into New England on Tuesday morning, threatening to snarl commutes and leave up to a foot in some parts of the region.
Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and the Northeast were under a winter weather advisory early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. A winter storm warning — a more serious alert indicating current or imminent hazardous winter weather — came into effect Tuesday morning and will remain through early Wednesday for an area stretching northeast from upstate New York to eastern Maine.
The storm created dangerous driving conditions for the Tuesday morning commute from parts of Missouri to western Pennsylvania. Snow was coating roads and lowering visibility in Central Indiana and Ohio, where the Department of Transportation said more than 1,120 crews were working to make the roads safe.
The Weather Service said at least six inches of snow were expected by Tuesday night across parts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont. Some areas could receive five to 10 inches, and higher elevations could see more than a foot.
The narrowest and heaviest band of snow was forecast to fall inland, west of the major metropolitan areas. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and other coastal cities will likely see rain, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.
Snowfall was expected to be strongest early Tuesday morning across central and southern Ohio, into northern West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, the Storm Prediction Center said, with more than an inch of snow per hour possible in those areas.
By mid morning, the Center said heavy snow was falling from eastern Pennsylvania into southeast New York, with a narrow corridor of freezing rain to the south.
The band of wintry weather was expected to continue northward, with the heaviest snow expected across northeast Pennsylvania during the morning, and into southeast New York and western Massachusetts and western Connecticut by early afternoon.
Western Pennsylvania was hit by nearly seven inches of snow in places, the Pittsburgh office of the Weather Service said at 8 a.m. Tuesday. It said the snowfall there was beginning to ease, with only light snow or flurries expected for the rest of the day.
In New York State, nearly two inches of snow had fallen in Rochester and Buffalo, and some schools were closed in Syracuse. All of Western New York was getting “light to moderate” snow, according to the Weather Service.
Farther south, freezing rain was falling across southwestern areas of West Virginia, and was expected to spread to other parts of the region for several hours through Tuesday morning, especially along the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Storm Prediction Center said. A little sleet was also possible.
Officials in several states urged residents to use caution on their morning and evening commutes. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York advised residents to leave extra time for commuting and avoid driving altogether.
In New Jersey, a state of emergency took effect at 5 a.m. in five counties — Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren — where snowfall, sleet and freezing rain were in the forecast.
Several school districts across the Northeast will be closed on Tuesday, including in Pittsburgh and at least two districts in Philadelphia and the Liberty and Monticello districts in New York State. Some schools in Maine, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have also canceled classes. In the Midwest, schools were closed in Kansas City, Mo. as well as Cincinnati and Cleveland.
In Maine, state offices are set to close at noon on Tuesday. Gov. Janet Mills advised residents to stock up on supplies and check on vulnerable neighbors.
Over the weekend, a blizzard whipped across the Midwest and disrupted travel after the Thanksgiving holiday. The storm tapered on Monday, but snow and icy conditions persisted across multiple states.
Flights were delayed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Monday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Weather Service said that heavy snow was falling in northern Kentucky early Tuesday.
Nazaneen Ghaffar and Hilary Howard contributed reporting.
Jin Yu Young is a reporter and researcher for The Times, based in Seoul, covering South Korea and international breaking news.
The post Winter Storm Rolls Into Northeast, Leaving a Mess of Snow and Ice appeared first on New York Times.
