Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Feb 22: A fast-strengthening winter storm is poised to hammer large parts of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with intense snowfall, fierce winds, and coastal flooding, prompting widespread blizzard warnings in major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Boston. More than 1,500 flights have already been cancelled nationwide as authorities brace for significant disruptions.

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reported that a low-pressure system developing over the Southeast is expected to reach the southern Mid-Atlantic coast by Sunday morning. The system is forecast to intensify rapidly by evening before tracking north-eastward along the Eastern Seaboard.

In its latest advisory, the centre described the system as a “Major Winter Storm for the Northeast,” warning of heavy snowfall across the northern Mid-Atlantic and much of the Northeast. Snowfall rates could exceed one inch per hour, with total accumulations ranging between one and two feet in several areas, potentially creating near-impossible travel conditions from Sunday into Monday.

Blizzard conditions are anticipated along coastal stretches from Delaware to south-eastern Massachusetts, with wind gusts between 40 and 70 miles per hour forecast from coastal New Jersey into New England. Officials cautioned that sharply reduced visibility and blowing snow will make travel extremely hazardous.

The combination of heavy, wet snow and strong winds is also likely to result in scattered to widespread power outages. Forecasters warned of moderate coastal flooding, with roads and waterfront properties from Delaware to Cape Cod at risk of inundation.

According to media reports, blizzard warnings cover much of the coastal Northeast, including New York City, which could see snowfall totals approaching two feet. It marks the first blizzard warning issued for the city since 2017. Airports serving the New York metropolitan area—including LaGuardia, Kennedy, and Newark—have reported hundreds of flight cancellations.

In Washington, D.C., a winter weather advisory has been issued for the Beltway region from late Sunday into Monday morning. Snowfall totals are expected to vary, with lighter accumulations in southern suburbs and heavier amounts—potentially up to six inches—north and north-east of the Beltway.

Winter storms of this magnitude are not uncommon along the Atlantic seaboard in February, when frigid continental air collides with relatively warmer Atlantic waters, creating the conditions for powerful coastal systems known as nor’easters.