Washington, Feb 23 (NationPress) A formidable winter storm has struck the US Northeast, leading to travel restrictions, school closures, and the cancellation of thousands of flights as heavy snowfall and intense winds affected major urban areas from Washington to Boston.

The National Weather Service has issued warnings for a "Significant Winter Storm in the Northeast," forecasting heavy snow across the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast until Monday. Snowfall rates could reach two to three inches per hour, with accumulations potentially reaching two feet in certain regions, creating "extremely challenging travel conditions."

Blizzard alerts have been announced for extensive areas within the region. According to The Weather Channel, officials in New York City described this storm as "potentially historic."

New York City has enacted a travel ban from 9 p.m. Sunday through noon on Monday. Mayor Zoharan Mamdani remarked, "New York City has not experienced a storm of this magnitude in the last ten years. We urge New Yorkers to refrain from all non-essential travel." Schools in the city will remain closed on Monday, marking their first "traditional snow day" since 2019.

New Jersey and Rhode Island have also imposed travel restrictions starting at 9 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, as several states declared states of emergency in response to the escalating storm.

Air travel faced significant disruptions, with The Wall Street Journal reporting nearly 8,000 flight cancellations for Sunday and Monday, particularly affecting Boston and New York. At LaGuardia and JFK airports, approximately half of Sunday’s flights were cancelled, and by Sunday afternoon, over 3,500 domestic and international flights had been cancelled, with JFK and LaGuardia being among the most impacted.

Boston and much of eastern Massachusetts are expected to receive up to two feet of snow, accompanied by wind gusts reaching 75 miles per hour. The Weather Service in Boston characterized it as "a potentially historic and destructive storm."

In Washington, D.C., a few inches of wet snow are anticipated. Federal agencies have announced a two-hour delay, and many local schools have opted for closures or delayed openings.

Forecasters have warned that strong onshore winds might result in coastal flooding from Delaware to Cape Cod. The Weather Service cautioned that flooding could become severe enough to inflict structural damage and cause widespread road inundation.

Nearly 54 million individuals are bracing for the storm, spanning from the central Appalachians to coastal Maine, and are under winter storm or blizzard warnings.

The storm is projected to move out of northern New England by Tuesday morning.