Major snowstorm hits Northeast, bringing up to 2 feet of snow and blizzard conditions

NEW YORK - A major snowstorm hit the Northeast on Monday, expected to bring over a foot of snow in New York City and many other areas across the region — as well as blizzard-like conditions.

The National Weather Service said "widespread heavy snow," bringing 1 to 2 feet in many areas, is forecast from Pennsylvania into New England through Tuesday — including cities like Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Snowfall rates could reach 2 inches per hour.

In New York City, the storm is expected to bring 14-24 inches of snow. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph from the storm, creating near-blizzard conditions and drifting snow, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures were expected to be in the upper 20s to lower 30s for the New York City metro area.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a local State of Emergency on Sunday in anticipation of the storm, meaning all non-emergency travel in the city was restricted as of 6 a.m. on Monday.

LaGuardia Airport said approximately 81% of flights had been canceled. The snowstorm also impacted coronavirus vaccinations in many areas, with appointments for Monday in New York and New Jersey needing to be canceled and rescheduled.

In the Boston area, the storm is expected to dump between 7 to 15 inches of snow Monday, with the heaviest accumulations expected during the evening commute, the National Weather Service said. Winds strong enough to bring down tree branches with gusts ranging from 35 to 50 mph were also forecast for the storm.

The storm will reach northern New England later that night, meteorologists said.

Over the weekend, the storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest in the most snow some places had seen in several years. Chicago got almost 7 inches of snow by Sunday morning, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights at the city's two airports.

In Wisconsin, snow depths in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached more than 15 inches, and the snow was still falling.

Three to 5 inches of snow arrived in central Ohio by early Sunday, making for some slippery roads. Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia had also received some snow, with up to 3 inches in some areas. By the afternoon, the snow reached Pennsylvania.

People walk dogs at the National Mall in Washington D.C., on Jan. 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie via Getty Images)

Snow and cold in Washington led President Joe Biden to postpone a visit to the State Department that had been planned for Monday. A White House official said Sunday night that the visit would be rescheduled for later in the week when the agency’s staff and diplomats could more safely commute to attend.

This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.