Live updates: Winter storm sweeping north-east is a ‘bomb storm’, Weather Service says

There were no major reports of damage or power outages across the Northeast as of 5am. National Weather Service Office on Long Island – where it snows more than 16 inches in total was forecast in Nassau and Suffolk Counties – indicating that about an inch had fallen there at 1 a.m.

A blizzard warning is in effect for a large swath of the East Coast. And people across the region are grappling with a day of freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, difficult travel conditions and the threat of widespread power outages.

Four hours before dawn, National Weather Service guess that the ratio of heavy snow and strong winds will combine to create “dangerous blizzard conditions” across coastal areas of New England and the Mid-Atlantic on Saturday. It said that travel in those areas would be “nearly impossible” in terms of loss of life.

The storm is expected to clear Sunday, but before plunging more than a foot of snow along coastal areas in the Northeast and two or more feet in parts of eastern Massachusetts.

“That’s where the heart is,” said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist at the Weather Service’s Boston office. phone just before 2 a.m. when snow covered his car in a nearby parking lot. Three hours later, he said, two to four inches were recorded along the coastal areas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Mr. Williams said that the heaviest snowfall in Eastern Massachusetts will move shortly after sunrise and last until about 4pm. He said that Eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island are most likely to accumulate along the East Coast on Saturday.

Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are likely to experience the most intense winds, possibly even gusts, he added. A coastal flood warning was in effect for the east coast of Massachusetts Saturday morning.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul’s emergency declaration for New York City, Long Island, and Rockland and Westchester counties went into effect Friday night. Five to 10 inches of snow are expected in the city and mid-Hudson region.

As the storm moves through southern New England, the Weather Service said, parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island could experience a loss of as much as two to four inches of snow per hour. Mr. Williams said heavy snowfall combined with high winds will increase the possibility of power outages, especially for coastal areas of southeastern Massachusetts.

Air travel was disrupted even before the storm made landfall. Data from Flight knowledgeA website that tracks flights and the aviation industry, shows that many of Saturday’s canceled flights were scheduled to take off from Boston Logan International Airport and New York City’s three main air hubs: LaGuardia , John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty.

Delta say on friday that it will suspend operations at those airports through Sunday morning and restart Sunday afternoon if conditions permit.

As for road conditions, Mr Williams of the Weather Service said that the snow, wind and low visibility would make it difficult for anyone – including himself – who plans to drive.

“If you don’t have to go out, we’re trying to say: Stay home until Sunday,” he said. “Fortunately, Sunday seems to be quiet, so that will give us time for everyone to clean up and hopefully get back to normal by the start of the week.”