The beast from the east pounces in satellite image! 60 million people are under weather warning as powerful nor'easter threatens to dump 2ft of snow on East Coast - but COVID vaccine shippers say distribution will not be affected
More than 60 million people were under weather warnings Wednesday with a powerful nor'easter threatening to dump up to two foot of snow across the East Coast.
COVID-19 vaccine shippers say they will not let Winter Storm Gail - set to hit this afternoon - affect distribution but shippers say they have made additional plans in case it does.
A FedEx spokesperson told CNN: 'We have a team of 15 meteorologists monitoring conditions 24/7, and we have contingency plans in place should we see any severe weather.' Operation Warp Speed's Gen. Gustave Perna confirmed a 'safety stock' of doses should the bad weather cause problems.
The National Weather Service say the heaviest snowfall is currently forecast across central Pennsylvania, 'where as much as two feet of snow is possible'. 'This will likely lead to very dangerous, if not impossible, travel conditions and isolated power outages', they add.
A satellite image of the storm shows the huge snow cloud shaped like a beast hitting the US early Wednesday.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said officials there anticipate announcing a state of emergency in several counties in the Hudson Valley from 6pm Wednesday. He added: 'This is going to be statewide.'
'On the state side, all of our agencies have readied their emergency response assets, are coordinating with local governments and will help ensure utilities are prepared to address any possible power outages', he said Monday.
New Jersey is poised to restrict commercial traffic from some highways because of the impending snow storm.
Beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, commercial vehicles will be prohibited from the interstate highways that cross the state. The restriction includes all tractor-trailers, passenger vehicles pulling trailers, recreational vehicles and motorcycles.
A satellite image of the storm shows the huge snow cloud shaped like a beast hitting the East Coast early Wednesday
A mix of rain and snow falls outside the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday
New York City prepares for snow Gail Wednesday. Snowfall in the Big Apple is set to be the heaviest December in a decade with 12 inches forecast; 20.1 inches fell in Central Park in 2010, records show. Boston could see a foot of snow, forecasters say
There are warnings in place from northern Georgia to New England, with forecasters predicting two feet of snow in places
The National Weather Service say the heaviest snowfall is currently forecast across central Pennsylvania. 'This will likely lead to very dangerous, if not impossible, travel conditions and isolated power outages', they add
Forecasted snowfall in New York State Wednesday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday: 'Forecasts are calling for this season's first major snowstorm in the Hudson Valley and points south, so it's once again time for New Yorkers to find their shovels'
Pictures taken by the DailyMail.com Tuesday and Wednesday show New Yorkers stocking up for the bad weather, buying shovels, salt and sleds. Outdoor dining has been forced to close with many restaurants.
There are warnings in place from northern Georgia to New England, with forecasters predicting, several feet of snow, ice, school closures and power outages.
Snowfall in the Big Apple is set to be the heaviest December in a decade with 12 inches forecast; 20.1 inches fell in Central Park in 2010, records show. Boston could see a foot of snow, forecasters say.
In a forecast The National Weather Service said: 'Between the snow in the north and the rain in the south, a wintry mix is forecast to stretch across the southern Appalachians and the interior Mid-Atlantic roughly along the I-95 corridor.
'Freezing rain is the main concern across this region, as upwards of a quarter inch of ice accretion is possible. This could lead to scattered tree damage and power outages.'
The NWS adds: 'As the precipitation shield advances north throughout the day, heavy snow will overtake areas northwest of I-95 in the Mid-Atlantic. This means major cities, such as Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, will likely see a wintry mix and potentially plain rain for areas just to the southeast.
'Further north and east, heavy snow will also encroach upon much of the Northeast and southern New England this evening, including New York City and Boston.'
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Tuesday that schools may close for in person learning Thursday but insisted remote classes would continue. Officials also confirmed COVID-19 testing centers will also shut from Wednesday afternoon. Drivers were warned to stay off the roads.
The New York City Emergency Management Department said the 'heavy snow and breezing conditions could cause near-blizzard conditions.'
In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf signed the disaster emergency proclamation.
Crews from Brattleboro, Vt., Public Works Department loads up plow trucks with road salt on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, before the start of the winter storm that is to hit the area Wednesday night and will go into Thursday
Department of Sanitation vehicles and buses were equipped with chains on their tires Wednesday in NYC
Pictures taken by the DailyMail.com Tuesday and Wednesday show New Yorkers stocking up for the bad weather, buying shovels, salt and sleds. Outdoor dining has been forced to close with many restaurants
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Tuesday that schools may close for in person learning Thursday but insisted remote classes would continue. Officials also confirmed COVID-19 testing centers will also shut from Wednesday afternoon
The Weather Prediction Center said: 'Confidence is high that this winter storm will result in significant impacts, including travel disruptions and power outages across much of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England.'
In NYC the Sanitation Department has issued a snow alert which means restaurants and bars will have to stop outdoor dining, effective 2pm Wednesday.
De Blasio said Tuesday he hoped for outdoor dining to be back by Thursday. Restaurants were told last Friday that from Sunday they would not longer be able to offer indoor dining for at least two weeks.
The city has ordered all outdoor dining suspended by 2 p.m. Wednesday, around the time when the storm is expected to start dumping a foot or more of snow in the city and throughout the Northeast.
New York City restaurants aren’t being required to break down wooden shacks and other structures they’ve set up in parking spaces for outdoor dining during the pandemic.
But the city wants them to remove or secure outdoor furniture, remove heaters and the tops of their structures to make way for the plows that typically push piles of snow into parking spaces.
Laura Montalvo, co-owner of the Columbian restaurant La Masa, told The New York Daily News: 'We’re pulling it apart. We don’t want any problems, because everyone has different regulations. Less headache we gotta worry about.'
Governor Andrew Cuomo had said Monday: 'Forecasts are calling for this season's first major snowstorm in the Hudson Valley and points south, so it's once again time for New Yorkers to find their shovels.'
Long-range meteorologist Tyler Roys added: 'Overall, a chillier pattern looks to last until Christmas, so if any locales get around a foot or more of snow, it could be enough to last until Christmas.'