More than 60 million people across the U.S. are under winter weather alerts as a powerful storm system targets the Northeast after Christmas, while a separate atmospheric river continues to batter California with flooding rain, high winds and dangerous conditions.
Forecasters warn the systems could disrupt flights and road travel as millions of Americans head home after the holidays.
The severe weather is expected to unfold over several days, with impacts stretching from the West Coast to the Northeast. Forecasters say conditions on the ground could change quickly, affecting everything from short drives to long-distance travel. Here’s what to know about the most affected regions.
Snow and ice expected across Northeast
The tristate area is expected to bear the brunt of a major winter storm on Friday, with snow, sleet and freezing rain forecast to create hazardous travel conditions. Accumulating snow is forecast to hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey — where a state of emergency has been declared — beginning Friday through early Saturday. Some forecast models suggest that parts of New York and New Jersey will see up to 9 inches of snow, depending on the storm’s track.
The storm is already disrupting air travel in the region. As of Friday morning, at least 1,300 flights across the U.S. had been canceled, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware , with delays expected to grow as the storm intensifies.
Snowfall totals of roughly 1 to 6 inches are expected across northeastern Pennsylvania, much of New Jersey, large portions of New York state and parts of southern and central New England, with higher amounts possible in elevated areas north and west of New York City.
The system is also expected to bring sleet and freezing rain to parts of Pennsylvania , Maryland , West Virginia and northern Virginia. A wintry mix is likely in cities including Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
California: Record rainfall, flooding and ongoing storm threats
