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NEW YORK (AP) — A swiftly intensifying storm set off blizzard alerts on Saturday for regions including New York City, New Jersey, and Boston, as East Coast communities braced for an onslaught of heavy snow and fierce winds expected on Sunday.
The National Weather Service revised its earlier forecast, elevating the anticipated severity of the storm, which was initially thought to be much less intense.
Forecasters now predict that many areas could receive between 1 to 2 feet (approximately 30 to 61 centimeters) of snow. Consequently, blizzard warnings have been issued for New York City, Long Island, Boston, and coastal areas of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The advisory also includes potential flooding threats for parts of New York and New Jersey.
“We frequently witness nor’easters that bring heavy snow and significant impacts, but it has been years since a storm of this magnitude affected such a vast, densely populated region,” explained Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center.
Snell noted that the storm is expected to move in on Sunday morning around Washington, D.C., before progressing towards Philadelphia and New York City, and ultimately reaching Boston by the evening.
The weather service said the storm could begin as rainfall in some places before worsening, with the heaviest snowfall expected at night and as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday afternoon.
The weather service warned that the storm, with steady winds of 25 to 35 mph (40 to 56 kph) would “make travel dangerous, if not impossible. Scattered downed tree limbs and power outages possible due to snow load and strong winds.”
Officials scrambled to prepare for a storm that forecasters days ago believed would have a much more limited impact.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city would expand on efforts it used to deal with a major snowfall weeks ago. But officials held off on deciding whether to open schools Monday for the time being.
“We saw on Friday there was expectation that the likelihood was that we were going to face maybe 3 to 4 inches of snow. Quickly that then changed,” Mamdani said. “So we want to make sure that we make a decision based on up-to-date and accurate information.”
New York brought in additional snow clearing equipment from outside the city and planned to increase use of geocoding to keep track of bus stops and crosswalks that need clearing, he said.
With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico to prepare his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.
Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow removal vehicles, before resting up Saturday.
“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”
The storm approached just as the icy remains of a snowstorm that struck the region weeks earlier were finally melting away.
Officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, urged residents and casino visitors to stay off the streets, especially in low-lying neighborhoods prone to flooding.
“I could go on and on probably with a good two dozen streets where we know we will get water and there will be snow on top of that,” said Scott Evans, the city’s fire chief and emergency management coordinator. “So you won’t be able to see it until it’s too late, so therefore please stay at home.”
Many churches canceled Sunday services and other activities. To compensate, St. Veronica Parish in Howell, New Jersey, added an extra Mass on Saturday evening.
“Please stay safe, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep one another in prayer during the storm,” the Rev. Peter James Alindogan posted online.
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