ABC News(NEW YORK) — A major winter storm is barreling through the Northeast Tuesday, bringing dangerous snow, ice and rain during the morning and evening commutes.
Over 1,500 Tuesday flights had been canceled as of the morning. The hardest hit airport was LaGuardia in New York City with over 400 flights canceled.
The Tuesday morning commute “will be nasty in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Monday.
The forecast calls for “two to four inches potentially of snow right during the rush hour and we’re very, very concerned,” the mayor said. “That’s a really bad time of day for that all to be hitting.”
He urged residents to avoid driving Tuesday if possible. But classes are in session in New York City public schools.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency.
The snow falling in New York City Tuesday morning is forecast to continue through the early afternoon before changing to sleet and rain.
In Boston, the snow begins in the afternoon and will be heavy at times — the worst timing for the evening commute.
Public schools in Worcester, Massachusetts, are among those closed.
The snow will eventually change to rain for all the Northeast coastal cities, but inland, it’s a different story. In Pennsylvania, New York state and New England, some areas may see up to 1 foot of snow.
Washington, D.C., should see rain exclusively from the big storm.
Philadelphia is forecast to get 1 to 2 inches of snow and sleet
New York City is expected to get 2 to 3 inches of snow before getting sleet and freezing rain
Boston is forecast for 4 to 5 inches of snow as well as sleet and freezing rain.
The storm moves out on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in the Midwest, a major ice storm struck overnight in Chicago, coating power lines and the city’s airports.
Wisconsin and Michigan may be in for 1 foot of snow with ice expected from Chicago to Detroit.
And on the West Coast, Seattle is buried under record-breaking snow.
Seattle was hit on Monday with its fourth snowstorm in one week.
With more than 20 inches from the storms, the city is experiencing its snowiest February on record and snowiest overall month in 50 years.
That storm is now headed for California, which should see significant rainfall in San Francisco and then Los Angeles.
The heaviest rainfall will be in Northern California, where residents could see more than 4 inches of rain.
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