A powerful winter storm is slamming parts of the Northeast, dumping snow and ice across the New York City region.
The storm has caused major disruptions to air travel.
More than 1,500 flights were canceled on Friday, with the biggest impacts seen at New York City’s three major airports and Philadelphia International Airport.
Both New York and New Jersey have declared states of emergency as conditions worsened.
In a public statement, New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to closely follow local weather updates and to limit travel unless absolutely necessary.
She emphasized that anyone who does need to travel should take extra care to stay safe.
Beyond New York and New Jersey, the storm is expected to bring heavy snow to parts of eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, western Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Snow began intensifying across the tristate area Friday afternoon and is forecast to last through the night, creating hazardous travel conditions from Philadelphia through New York City and north toward Albany.
By about 5 p.m. Friday, snowfall had reached New York City and was expected to continue overnight before ending around 7 a.m.
Initial forecasts had predicted roughly seven inches of snow for New York City, which would have marked the city’s heaviest snowfall in nearly four years.
Later, the National Weather Service revised its forecast, explaining that the storm had shifted farther northeast. This change lowered expected snowfall totals for New York City and northeast New Jersey.
Forecasts now state that the New York City area could see about two to five inches of snow, with spots farther north possibly seeing as much as six inches.
Icy conditions are also a concern, as freezing rain is expected in some areas.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams described the storm as a “significant snow event” and said snowplows would be deployed across the city by Friday night.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia is forecast to receive up to three inches of snow, along with a thin layer of ice that could make travel especially difficult Friday night.
By Friday morning, freezing rain had moved into Pennsylvania, leaving roads across much of the state coated in hazardous ice.
Ice storm warnings were also issued for parts of western Pennsylvania, where officials warned that the severe conditions could lead to power outages and fallen trees.
