More than 1,300 flights have been canceled and commuters have been warned to stay at home as massive winter snow storm Oaklee heads northwest and has already laid six inches of snow and is set to cause possible power outages from Ohio Valley into New England.
Warnings of power outages have been issued in parts of Pennsylvania, western Maryland and northern West Virginia where significant icing is possible through Friday.
Downed tree limbs and scattered power outages are likely and driving will be very difficult.
Freezing rain and sleet is set to hit the southern parts of that area including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Hudson Valley and the coastline of New England.
Toward the north at least six inches of snow will cause havoc for Americans in the interior of New York state and into New England.
And some areas might even see a foot of snow. So far some 1,326 flights have been canceled in the US, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
Early Friday, Baltimore reported 0.15 inches of freezing rain, while 6 inches of snow was observed already in Preston, New York.
Steven Tole, an officer with the Fayetteville Police Department, offers advice to a motorist on College Avenue near the Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville, Arkansas
John Lotti shovels snow from his frozen drive way in Tulsa Oklahoma
Heavy snow fell across Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday. The storm forced closures on major roadways in Arizona
A runner braves cold temperatures to head out into Hyder Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Matthew ”Mateo” White enjoys a cold morning walk with his 1 year-old Border Collie-Terrier in Albuquerque
Since Wednesday morning, the storm has produced numerous reports of sleet and freezing rain, from as far south as central Texas to central and eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southern Missouri and parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic.
More than 118million people as far as Texas and New England are under a winter storm warning and seven million people along the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys are under a flood watch because of heavy rain they can expect.
James Connolly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York told the New York Times: ‘The snow will be a concern initially, and then it’ll change over into a wintry mix, and then it’ll change over to rain.’
He added that coastal areas will see the least amount of snow while three inches may be seen in New York City, Connecticut and the Lower Hudson valley.
And the disruptive weather warnings have led to governors of states including Connecticut and Massachusetts to encourage residents to stay off the roads and the I-70 and I-80 are expected to be especially slick.
Snow had already made its way into Chicago and Iowa by Thursday evening.
The Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker tweeted: ‘Given the hazardous travel conditions that will be created by the upcoming winter storm, we are urging people to stay off the roads tomorrow – especially during the morning commute.
‘Non-emergency state employees should telework tomorrow when possible.’
Record low temperatures may even be reached in California, western Oregon and western Arizona.
The US has been hit by a string of winter storms this year and in early January one weather system stranded hundreds of drivers on I-95 in Virginia for more than 24 hours.
Later in the month another storm hit the south and killed at least two people and left thousands without power.
It comes after more than 2,000 flights have been canceled across the US as a winter storm makes its way Northeast and is predicted to produce up to six inches of snow by Friday.
On Thursday more than 110 million Americans were under weather alerts for a winter storm that is set to bring dangerous ice to the South and Midwest on Thursday before dumping a combination of heavy snow, wintry mix and rain in the Northeast.
Through Thursday evening, ice and sleet continued for the southern Plains and the Mississippi Valley as snow is forecasted to increase in coverage and intensity across the Midwest and the southern Great Lakes, while heavy rain with some isolated strong storms will roll across the Southeast, NBC News reported.
A fresh layer of now is seen in Mother Neff State Park in Moody, Texas on Thursday as a winter storm moves through the South and Midwest
The Historic San Felipe de Neri in Old Town in New Mexico is seen with a fresh coat of overnight snow on Thursday morning as a winter storm makes its way across the US
Ice accumulations of over 0.25 inches are likely from the Red River Valley of Texas through the Ozarks and southeast Missouri, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
To prepare for the storm the Electric Reliability Council of Texas warned of tight grid conditions and some Texas school districts in Texas canceled classes due to hazardous driving conditions, CNN reported.
Thousands of flights, mostly out of Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport, have also been cancelled and delayed.
By Thursday afternoon, 2,020 flights entering, leaving and traveling within the U.S. were canceled, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com.
As the storm shifts east overnight it is forecast to bring up to 12-18 inches of snow in parts of New England, along with a mix of snow, ice and rain for points to the south along the I-95 corridor, Accuweather reported.
A map of projected snowfall as a winter storm makes its way to the Northeast on Thursday
The storm is forecast to bring up to 12-18 inches of snow in parts of New England, along with a mix of snow, ice and rain for points to the south along the I-95
A massive snowstorm is forecast to make its way Northeast late Thursday, bringing heavy snow and a wintry mix and rain
‘Heavy snow is expected across Upstate New York and New England on Friday when snow rates will likely eclipse 1’/hr at times. Dangerous travel is likely,’ the weather service tweeted.
The Northeast is largely expected to be dry on Thursday, with a light mixture of rain and sleet expected to spread eastward across northern Maryland and Virginia and along the southern tier of Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday night, most of central and southern Pennsylvania through central New Jersey will have sleet and freezing rain.
New York City is forecasted to see about 2.5 inches of snow that is expected to being around midnight on Thursday, as well as sleet and freezing rain will spread over the New York metro area between late Thursday and Friday afternoon.
‘A gradual transition to rain will then take place into Friday morning. However, roads and sidewalks are likely to still be slippery especially over the northern and western suburbs and in parts of central Long Island, where the wintry mix is likely to linger for a time,’ AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary said.
The bad weather even forced The People’s Convoy, heading to Washington DC to protest COVID mask and vaccine mandates, to reroute
By Thursday afternoon, 2,020 flights entering, leaving and traveling within the U.S. have been canceled, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com
On Thursday morning Kris Young, who is the admin for the group’s Facebook page, announced the delay on its way to Lupton, Arizona, citing ‘weather conditions.’
Young later released an updated route, seemingly to avoid the poor conditions, and told supporters in Lupton to prepare for their arrival. The convoy is still expected to arrive in the city Friday, they are just taking different roads to get there.
‘Line the over passes! Wave your flags! Get the kids arm pumping!’ she wrote.
It is unclear what conditions the convoy met along the original route, as organizers did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment, however, a storm dropped about a foot of snow across parts of Arizona’s High County Wednesday.
The National Weather Service had issued a winter storm warning spanning from Flagstaff to Show Low until 11 p.m. Wednesday. When the truckers arrived in Kingman, which is located about 150 miles east of Flagstaff, there wasn’t any snow visible.
The People’s Convoy made it’s way down Hwy 395 on Wednesday before they were forced to revise its cross-country route on Thursday due to inclement weather in Arizona
On Thursday The People’s Convoy (pictured heading south on I-81 on Wednesday) announced a delay on its way to Lupton, Arizona, citing ‘weather conditions’
