UPDATE: 2:30 PM EST
If you’re on the East Coast between New Jersey and Massachusetts, this is for you.
Go home. Now.
NY Mayor Bill de Blasio says all non-emergency vehicles must be off roads as of 11 pm tonight http://t.co/Rf3qdtYUir
— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) January 26, 2015
There will be limited @MTA subway service after 7pm. We are anticipating closing @MetroNorth and @LIRR at 11pm. #Blizzardof2015
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 26, 2015
Massachusetts governor announces MBTA service will shut down at midnight, no service Tuesday – @MassEMA http://t.co/3fgVRfXzGZ
— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) January 26, 2015
Stay safe out there!
———-
Get your booze and your flashlights. What the National Weather Service is calling the “historic” and “crippling” blizzard of 2015 is about to go down.
Airlines are already planning to cancel all flights, plow trucks line the city streets and in a Sunday news conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio gave the East Coast a fair warning — “don’t underestimate this storm.”
“My message to all New Yorkers is prepare for something worse than we have seen before. Prepare to be safe. Take every precaution. Now is the time to get ready for this extreme weather,” he said.
“I want everyone to understand that we are facing — most likely — one of the largest snowstorms in the history of this city,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
It’s true. Officials are warning that the unnamed blizzard of 2015, which is expected to dump up to 3 feet of snow and freezing rain between Boston and New York Monday night and into Tuesday, could be life-threatening. And airlines aren’t taking any chances.
Airlines began canceling flights by the hundreds. FlightAware, a travel website, put the total at more than 1,800 early Monday.
“We plan to cancel all flights Tuesday at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK, as well as Boston and Philadelphia,” said United Airlines Spokeswoman Mary Ryan.
In other words, don’t even try to go through with your air travel planes. You will be highly disappointed.
In fact, let’s put some things into perspective. This isn’t just snowfall. The National Weather service is talking wind gusts reaching hurricane level. HURRICANE.
The Weather Service says whiteout conditions will make travel extremely dangerous in the entire affected area. Wind gusts in the New York City area could hit 65 mph.
The blizzard warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Monday through Tuesday, with the worst conditions expected from late Monday evening through midday Tuesday.
In Massachusetts, emergency management officials warned that the winter storm will be potentially “historic and destructive.”
Snow in the southeastern part of Massachusetts could morph into a period of freezing rain. And a major nor’easter is likely to develop on Monday and move up the northeast coast, forecasters said.
And even with 1,806 plows and more than 126,000 tons of salt to spray on roads in the New York area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is urging New Yorkers to just stay in the house, at least until Wednesday when the weather lets up. You’ll be sorry if you don’t.
Roads could be closed and power could go out, he said in a news release Sunday, and New Yorkers need to look out for downed power lines and tree limbs.
Cuomo directed all state agencies to prepare. New York has at least across the region. The National Guard will also have six dozen personnel and 20 vehicles stationed throughout the state starting on Monday morning.
Got it? Got it. Stay safe out there.
For a full list of weather advisories, click here.
SOURCE: CNN, National Weather Service | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
