The North East is bracing for 'Snowmageddon' as an incoming storm is set to dump up to 12 inches of snow in major cities including Boston and Manhattan.
Forecasters have warned the fast-moving weather system is set to blast New York early on Tuesday before moving north later in the day and walloping Massachusetts.
If the city gets at least six inches of powder, it will the largest snowstorm since January 2022.
More than 1,500 snow plows and 36 blowers are poised to respond to potentially apocalyptic conditions in NYC on Tuesday, the state transport department said.
The Big Apple's Mayor Eric Adams has warned that six to eight inches of snow is expected across much of the city - with higher amounts expected in some areas.
Adams added that all New York schools will be closed on Tuesday, with classroom lessons to be replaced by remote learning.
The North East is bracing for 'Snowmageddon' as an incoming storm is set to dump eight inches of snow in major cities including Manhattan
New York has only seen a measly 2.3 inches of snow this season, but some forecasters are predicting the possibility of another 15 inches
It comes after New Yorkers enjoyed comparatively balmy weather over the weekend, and forecasters warn there's now a chance of a bombogenesis - a cold blast which occurs when cold air mass collides with warm molecules.
Around 2,000 migrants who had been sleeping in tents on Floyd Bennett Field were relocated to James Madison High School in Brooklyn last time NYC was battered by a winter storm.
While Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov criticized the move over pupils having to relocate, while City Hall referred to the illegal migrants as 'guests' and called it a temporary stay.
In New York, temperatures are not expected to dip much below freezing, raising the prospect of heavy and wet snow that is difficult to shovel off sidewalks and plow off roadways, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
The conditions could create 'pretty messy' commutes and potentially down power lines and trees, causing power outages, Oravec warned.
In New England, the forecast of heavy snow prompted Boston's mayor to declare a state of emergency, canceling Tuesday classes in all city schools, and set off alarm bells for many residents, who scrambled to prepare for the storm.
'We're almost totally out of snow shovels,' said Ethan Straub, a hardware store manager in Boston.
He said his stock of 100 shovels had dwindled to just a dozen by Monday morning. Ever since the storm appeared in weather reports, he said, the rush of business had been 'crazy.'
About 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) south of Boston, in Fall River, Tony Cruz planned to work nonstop on Tuesday and Wednesday shoveling snow off driveways, front steps and sidewalks, armed with just a shovel and snow blower.
'I work alone. Just me. I'm 'Tony the Handyman' and if we get a ton of snow I'll work until it's done,' Cruz said, adding that he stays warm with an insulated jacket and 'lots and lots of coffee.'
A winter storm watch was in effect for Long Island, New York City and part of northeast New Jersey.
The Big Apple's Mayor Eric Adams has warned that six to eight inches of snow is expected across much of the city - with higher amounts expected in some areas
New York City's 'snow drought' of almost two years ended in mid-January, when an Arctic blast dropped about 1.4 inches in the city's Central Park. (Pictured: the park on January 16, 2024)
The precipitation will begin as rain late on Monday and turn to snow as temperatures fall overnight. The amount of snowfall could rise or drop depending on when that change occurs, Oravec said.
New York City's 'snow drought' of almost two years ended in mid-January, when an Arctic blast dropped about 1.4 inches in the city's Central Park.
Tuesday's snow is expected to exceed that, possibly creating conditions for sledding and snowball fights, albeit briefly.
A fleet of 1,500 large snow plow trucks stood by in New York City, ready to hit the streets, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.
Strong winds, up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour), and coastal flooding were also forecast along the New England coast, as well as the Jersey Shore and Long Island.
There is still a 40 percent chance of over four inches of snow in northwestern New Jersey and a 30 percent chance for about two inches of snow near Philadelphia, according to the National Weather Service.
'The overall pattern is not very conducive to significant snowfall along and east of the I-95 corridor, as a nearly perfect balance of all these factors would need to take place,' the National Weather Service said.
'Also working against snowier outcomes, fairly mild air and easterly winds flowing off the Atlantic on Monday should tend to keep the precipitation mainly in the form of rain outside of our far northwest zones.'
Washington DC isn't expected to bear the brunt of these upcoming storms, but the city was pummeled with snow during the last 'snowmageddon.'
A February 2010 storm, dubbed 'Snowmageddon,' was a major blizzard that caused major impacts across the Northeast, including the death of 41 people.
The latest weather warnings come in the aftermath of a deadly storm on the West Coast, leaving nine people dead and a trail of destruction after five days of rain in California.
The storm, fueled by El Niño, resulted in widespread power outages, road closures and flooding.
