NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) — After days of frigid temperatures, the Northeast braced for a massive winter storm that could dump well over a foot of snow in many areas, creating blizzard-like conditions and cause travel problems for the next few days.
It was already impacting coronavirus vaccinations in New York and New Jersey, with appointments for Monday needing to be canceled and rescheduled.
The storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest in the most snow some places had seen in several years. Chicago got almost 7 inches of snow by Sunday morning, leading to the cancellation of a couple of hundred flights at the city’s two airports. In Wisconsin, snow depths in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached more than 15 inches, and the snow was still falling.
“That’s more snow than we’ve seen in a decade,” said Chris Stumpf, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Three to 5 inches of snow arrived in central Ohio by early Sunday, making for some slippery roads. Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia had also received some snow, with up to 3 inches in some areas. By the afternoon, the snow was expected to reach Pennsylvania.
Snow and cold in Washington led President Joe Biden to postpone a visit to the State Department that had been planned for Monday. A White House official said Sunday night that the visit would be rescheduled for later in the week when the agency’s staff and diplomats could more safely commute to attend.
Heavy snow falling at an inch to 3 inches an hour was forecast for Monday in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the National Weather Service said. Much of the region could see blizzard-like conditions, with a foot to 18 inches of snow.
Temperatures were expected to be in the upper 20s to lower 30s for New York City metro area.
The snow was expected to start falling in Massachusetts on Monday morning, bringing up to a foot of snow to impact the evening commute. The storm will reach northern New England later that night, meteorologists said.
Winds strong enough to bring down tree branches with gusts ranging from 35 to 50 mph were forecast for the storm.
“Rosie” runs in the snow on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) 
Antwan Wilkerson shovels snow during a winter storm, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Mechanicsville, Va. (Joe Mahoney/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
Aaron Savage and wife Bonnie Wright watch as their children Mabel Savage, 4, left, and Sadie Savage, 2, play in the snow during a winter storm on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Richmond, Va. (Joe Mahoney/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
A snowman on the National Mall wears a face mask as snow falls in front of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) 
Paulina Lozano speaks with her parents by phone, as snow falls on the National Mall, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
