Winter Storm Kenan path tracker LIVE – ‘Historic’ snow totals warning as bomb cyclone blizzard hits northeast

Blizzard to continue

The fierce blizzard conditions are expected to last into this afternoon, the National Weather Service has warned.

The NWS said on Twitter: “Heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue through this afternoon from eastern Long Island to eastern MA, including eastern RI and CT.

“The heaviest snow rates will likely diminish by 4-5pm ET.

“Strong wind gusts of 35-50 kts are possible into this evening.”

What happens during a cyclone?

It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars — A millibar measures atmospheric pressure — over 24 hours.

This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass.

An example is when chilly air moves over warm ocean waters.

The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis, which creates what is known as a bomb cyclone.

What are blizzard conditions?

Not every storm is considered to be a blizzard.

There are three conditions that must be met for a storm to be considered a blizzard.

Snow must combine with winds over 35 miles per hour.

On top of that, visibility must be less than a quarter mile.

These conditions must last for more than three hours.

What is a nor’easter?

A nor’easter is a storm that forms along North America’s East Coast. Nor’easters get their name from the direction in which the strongest winds blow over the northeastern states, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Nor’easters begin to form within 100 miles of the coast that stretches between New Jersey and Georgia.

This area is a perfect spot for the formation of storms. The polar jet stream blows cold air southward out of Canada and eastward toward the ocean. 

Snowfall – the latest figures

A number of eastern states have suffered significant amounts of snow this morning, official figures from the National Weather Service show.

The NWS has reported as of 11am Saturday:

Highest totals by state so far:

• NJ – Tuckerton 16″
• NY – Islip 15″
• CT – Ledyard Center 14.1″
• MD – Ocean Pines 14″
• DE – Millsboro – 13″
• TN – Mt. Leconte 12″
• NC – Burnsville 9.7″
• VA – Oak Hill 9.5″
• MA – Norton 8.1″
• PA – Fox Chase 6.1″

Near hurricane-force winds

Wind gusts reached near hurricane-force speeds as the winter weather storm lashed the Northeast on Saturday, dropping heavy snow, causing coastal flooding and threatening widespread power outages.

Forecasters warned conditions would worsen and then be followed by bitter cold.

The nor’easter thrashed parts of 10 states and some major population centers, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston. By midday, more than 18 inches (45 centimeters) of snow had fallen on parts of New Jerseys shore and eastern Long Island.

Areas closest to the Atlantic coast bore the brunt. Boston, in the nor’easter’s crosshairs, could get more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow. Winds gusted at 70 mph (113 kph) or higher at several spots in Massachusetts, including Nantucket Island and Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod.

Most flights into and out of the airports serving New York, Boston and Philadelphia were canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware.

More than 4,500 flights were canceled across the U.S. Amtrak canceled all its high-speed Acela trains between Boston and Washington and canceled or limited other service.

Motorists stuck in snow

Police on Long Island said they had to help motorists stuck in the snow.

New York City expected up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow by mid-afternoon.

In Philadelphia, where 6 inches (15 centimeters) fell by early Saturday, few drivers ventured onto streets covered in knee-high drifts.

Delaware allowed only essential personnel to drive in two of its three counties.

Virginia, where a blizzard this month stranded hundreds of motorists for hours on Interstate 95, did not hesitate to get resources at the ready.

Ocean City, Maryland, recorded at least a foot (30 centimeters) of snow. Maryland State Police tweeted that troopers had received more than 670 calls for service and responded to over 90 crashes by midmorning.

Blizzard warning for Boston

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Boston metropolitan area and its nearly 4.9 million residents, predicting “whiteout conditions” and damaging winds.

Forecasters said more than two feet of snow could fall in some areas with wind gusts of 70 miles (113 km) per hour.

Southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the island of Martha’s Vineyard, were expected to get the highest snow totals.

More from Hochul’s press conference

Speaking with reporters at around noon Saturday, Hochul said the storm had not progressed as quickly as forecast, pushing back the state’s timetable for cleaning up.

Hochul predicted that the hardest-hit counties – Nassau and Suffolk, which already have received 7 to 11 inches (18-28 cm) of snow – could get another 5 to 12 inches (13-30 cm) by 6pm.

“This storm lingered,” Hochul said.

114,000 People without power

So far power outages were limited in most of the impacted states with the exception of Massachusetts, where 114,000 out of 2.6million customers were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

The storm hit nearly 44 years to the day after a monstrous blizzard crippled New England in 1978.

Dumping more than 27 inches (70 cm) of snow on Boston, that storm killed dozens of people, trapped others in their homes and shut down major highways for a week.

New York Governor warns of ‘life-threatening’ conditions

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has warned of “life-threatening” conditions as the blizzard continues to bombard the city.

“It’s high winds, heavy snow, blizzard conditions – all the elements of a classic nor’easter,” Hochul said at a news briefing, warning of frigid temperatures overnight. “This could be life-threatening.”

New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and other states have declared a state of emergency due to the brutal winter weather storm.

The Nor’easter blanketed a large swath of New England with heavy snowfall. With the storm ongoing, some coastal areas of New Jersey already recorded 15 inches (38 cm) of accumulation while Long Island, New York braced for another foot (30 cm) of snow.

Elderly woman found dead in her car

An elderly woman was found dead in her car overnight in Uniondale, New York.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, was found by a snow plow operater, Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman said.

Blakeman added the cause of death had not been officially determined but speculated that she likely suffered a heart attack or another sudden health event and was unable to get help while stuck in the storm.

“It’s a sad situation, but it illustrates how dangerous it is, people should not be out unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Blakeman told NBC New York Saturday.

DANGER! FALLING IGUANAS

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center warned residents in the northeast of falling snow.

But Floridians were warned about a unique kind of precipitation: falling iguanas.

Moderate temperatures in the south, especially Florida and South Georgia, are expected through the weekend.

“A variety of wind chill advisories/watches and freeze watches are out for this area,” the NWS explained on Twitter. And that means wild iguanas could fall asleep with the sudden cold snap.

“Some of our iguana friends down there go dormant in such conditions and could take a tumble.”

RESIDENTS TOLD TO ‘AVOID TRAVEL’

Across the region, residents hunkered down and avoided travel at the behest of government leaders, who warned of whiteout conditions.

Business closed or opened late.

Officials from Virginia to Maine warned people to stay off the roads.

Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all nonemergency road travel starting at 8am. Fierce winds blew the snow sideways for hours in Providence.

On New York’s Long Island, East Hampton officials reported near-whiteout conditions, as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow by midmorning and wind gusts of over 50 mph (80 kph).

“There’s a lot of drifting of snow, so of course we’re urging people not to go out at all, allow the highway crews to do their job,” Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said. “It’s going to be challenging enough without people getting stuck in the roadway.”

WHAT IS A NOR’EASTER?

A nor’easter is a storm that forms along North America’s East Coast. Nor’easters get their name from the direction in which the strongest winds blow over the northeastern states, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Nor’easters begin to form within 100 miles of the coast that stretches between New Jersey and Georgia.

This area is a perfect spot for the formation of storms. The polar jet stream blows cold air southward out of Canada and eastward toward the ocean. 

PEOPLE URGED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND

In the seaside town of Newburyport, north of Boston near the New Hampshire border, officials strongly encouraged residents living along the shore to move to higher ground.

Video posted on social media showed wind and waves battering North Weymouth, south of Boston, flooding streets with a slurry of frigid water.

Other video showed a street underwater on Nantucket.

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power in Massachusetts, with failures mounting.

No other states reported widespread outages.

SNOWFALL SO FAR

A number of eastern states have suffered significant amounts of snow this morning, official figures from the National Weather Service show.

The NWS has reported as of 11am Saturday:

Highest totals by state so far:

• NJ – Tuckerton 16″
• NY – Islip 15″
• CT – Ledyard Center 14.1″
• MD – Ocean Pines 14″
• DE – Millsboro – 13″
• TN – Mt. Leconte 12″
• NC – Burnsville 9.7″
• VA – Oak Hill 9.5″
• MA – Norton 8.1″
• PA – Fox Chase 6.1″

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CYCLONE?

It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars — A millibar measures atmospheric pressure — over 24 hours.

This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass.

An example is when chilly air moves over warm ocean waters.

The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis, which creates what is known as a bomb cyclone.

WHAT ARE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS?

Not every storm is considered to be a blizzard.

There are three conditions that must be met for a storm to be considered a blizzard.

Snow must combine with winds over 35 miles per hour.

On top of that, visibility must be less than a quarter mile.

These conditions must last for more than three hours.

STATE OF EMERGENCY IN NEW YORK

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a state of emergency is in effect as of 8pm Friday night.

The Long Island Rail Road will shut down overnight, though service could be suspended until Monday morning depending on how much snow is dumped.

MAINE HIT BY 3-4 INCHES OF SNOW

Parts of Maine could see 3-4 inches of snow fall in an hour, the NWS has warned.

In an update from the National Weather Service, it warned: “Blizzard conditions with snow rates of 2-3 inches an hour, occasionally 3-4 inches an hour, is forecast for coastal and Downeast Maine through midday, and will continue over the higher terrain through later today.”

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE INTO AFTERNOON

The fierce blizzard conditions are expected to last into this afternoon, the National Weather Service has warned.

The NWS said on Twitter: “Heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue through this afternoon from eastern Long Island to eastern MA, including eastern RI and CT.

“The heaviest snow rates will likely diminish by 4-5pm ET.

“Strong wind gusts of 35-50 kts are possible into this evening.”

WHAT IS A WINTER WEATHER WATCH?

A winter weather watch indicates that there is potential for severe winter weather.

If a winter weather watch is issued, prepare for dangerous weather conditions.

76MPH WIND GUSTS HIT PROVINCETOWN

Provincetown, MA, has been battered by wind gusts reaching 76mph as Storm Kenan hits the northeast.

Wind speeds have reached 66mph south of Plymouth while Nantucket saw wind gusts of up to 60mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Unconfirmed reports say Provincetown has been hit by a power outage due to the storm.

STORING YOUR CAR DURING A SNOWSTORM

If may sound obvious, but if you don’t have a covered parking spot, you can ask a friend or a family member if they have an extra one.

Perhaps you know someone who has a two- or three-car garage.

If you don’t know anyone who has an extra covered parking spot, you can put your car in storage.

On average, it costs about $45 to put a standard vehicle in storage for a day.

However, rates can vary depending on the facility that you choose.