A state of emergency has been declared in New Jersey, just miles from where a major winter storm is expected to dump the largest snow totals seen in over three years.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that residents in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut are in the direct path of the storm that is expected to slam the region with heavy snow and ice starting around 4pm ET.
Over 20 million people in the Northeast have been added to the official winter storm warning issued by NWS, with the alert expanding to parts northern New Jersey, central and upstate New York, Long Island, and western Massachusetts.
Parts of Rhode Island, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia have also been placed under a winter weather advisory and could see snow and ice accumulating on roadways this weekend.
New York is expected to take the brunt of the storm, with four to eight inches of snow predicted in the heart of the city.
According to Matt Brickman of NBC 4 New York, Friday’s storm could deliver the most snow New York has seen since January 2022. Up to a foot of snow has been predicted for northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of upstate New York.
New Jersey Acting Govornor Tahesha Way said: ‘This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel. We are urging travelers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to the roads.’
However, AccuWeather has also warned that a fast-moving ‘bomb cyclone’ storm is already in the forecast for Sunday, which will bring even more freezing rain, ice, snow, and blizzard-like conditions to the Northeast and Midwest.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Northeast, including New York City, where four to eight inches of snow may fall Friday night
New York City has not seen this much snow since January 2022 according to meteorologists (Stock Image)
Travelers in the New York area have already been impacted by the storm as over 300 flights have been cancelled at John F Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International Airports as of Friday afternoon.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also announced that an official ground stop or delay may be issued at all three major airports in the New York City area starting at 4pm.
Potential delays and ground stops have also been announced for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Philadelphia International Airport starting Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the storm’s path through the Great Lakes region has already impacted departure times at Chicago O’Hare Airport, which reported delays due to ‘low visibility’ at the major Midwest travel hub.
A record 122million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles during the final two weeks of December. Nearly 110million of those holiday travelers will be driving, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
AccuWeather meteorologists have forecasted that the Tri-State Area, including New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut could see nine inches of snow fall by Saturday afternoon.
The fast-moving storm is expected to clear out by 1pm on Saturday, but not before impacting millions of post-Christmas travelers returning home this weekend.
Hours later, however, forecasters have said that a ‘bomb cyclone,’ a powerful winter storm that strengthens quickly when air pressure drops sharply, is set to form over the Great Lakes, bringing hurricane force winds to several states.
Meteorologists have warned that another storm will immediately follow Friday’s snow, affecting an even larger portion of the Northeast and Midwest on Sunday
Friday night’s snowstorm is expected to impact millions of holiday travelers driving and flying this weekend (Stock Image)
On Sunday, forecasts show this bomb cyclone intensifying with peak impacts including blizzard conditions, gusty winds between 40 and 70mph, icy roads from freezing rain, and heavy snow accumulations up to 12 inches in some spots.
It will mainly affect states around the Great Lakes like Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and New York, as well as parts of Pennsylvania and other areas in the Northeast and New England heading into the final week of 2025.
‘Travel plans could be delayed or disrupted for millions of people trying to visit loved ones or returning home after Christmas. The busy period for shopping, gift exchanges and returns after Christmas may also be impacted,’ Roys added in a statement.
NWS has also issued an ice storm warning throughout central and western Pennsylvania on Friday, potentially causing blackouts as ice weighs down local power lines and causing dangerous road conditions.
‘Freezing rain, sleet, and snow are all on the table for this system. Travel will become treacherous after the onset of precipitation,’ NWS officials in State College, Pennsylvania posted on Facebook Friday morning.
Friday’s fast-moving snowstorm is the third winter blast, also called a clipper, to move across the northern US this week.
A clipper on Tuesday night brought the first wave of snow to New England and upstate New York, while major cities to the south saw a brief mix of sleet and rain on Christmas Eve Eve.
A much smaller system passed through in the Ohio Valley, the mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and New England, bringing a mix of rain, snow, and ice on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
A string of winter storms have been sweeping down from Canada this week, causing freezing rain, ice, snow, and damaging wind gusts
Friday night into Saturday’s storm is projected to be the biggest of the bunch, and could upend one of the busiest travel days of the entire year – the day after Christmas.
AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist, Chad Merrill, said: ‘The snow will quickly accumulate on paved surfaces and pile up fast, making for dangerous travel overnight Friday. Snowplows will be out in full force clearing the snow, with most of it falling in a 12-hour span late Friday.’
Merrill warned that Central Michigan, including cities such as Lansing, the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, and parts of western Maryland should brace for ‘significant ice accumulations.’
‘Farther east, although ice accumulation will be less, there will still be slippery spots in central to southeastern Pennsylvania overnight Friday into early Saturday. Bridges and overpasses are more susceptible to icy spots because they tend to get colder than other pavement.’
