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Extreme Snow Storm expected Across Northeast; Entire State Of Connecticut Covered By Blizzard Warnings; Rhode Island Declares Snow Emergency, Travel Ban Now In Effect; Thousands Of Power Outages Reported In New Jersey. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired February 22, 2026 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:50]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, everybody. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York.
And tonight much of the northeast, it is hunkering down for what could be one of the biggest snowstorms to hit the region possibly in years. The storm, it's now intensifying, and it's expected to bring heavy snow throughout the night and also into tomorrow.
Just check out these pictures coming in from Newtown, Manhattan. One to two feet of snow expected in many areas. Schools expected to be closed tomorrow throughout the region and New York City, it's imposing a citywide travel ban that's expected to kick in in the next hour. Public transportation in New Jersey, that's been shut down.
Let's get you some eyes on the ground now and head live to CNN's Gloria Pazmino, who's in New York.
Gloria, it's great to see you. I know you and your team have been out there throughout the night as these conditions continue to deteriorate. What are you seeing now?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And I can tell you that in the last hour or so the most significant change I've seen here outside of Central Park is that we've started to see the snowplows come out which means that officially we have at least two inches of accumulation on the ground. That's when the plows start to make their way around the city. More than 2,000 pieces of equipment have been deployed to deal with this potentially historic winter storm.
Around 2600 sanitation workers working 12-hour shifts tonight into tomorrow morning. A travel ban is going to be in effect starting at 9:00 this evening. It will lift on Monday, around -- at noon. And that means that all non-essential travel is banned. The mayor, Zohran Mamdani, asking people to stay off the roads, not only because it's dangerous, but because he wants the streets to be cleared so that snow plows and emergency vehicles can get by.
Now, throughout the earlier -- the early hours today, we spoke to a lot of people who were kind of taking it all in stride, trying to enjoy the beautiful snow as it was falling. Of course, as we get later and later into the evening, it will get colder and those blizzard conditions are really going to be felt. But some people were looking forward to it. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did some snow angels even though we're 23. Built some snowmen. It's time to be a kid again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fun. It's like being a kid again. We're throwing snowballs at each other, sliding down the hills, building snowmen. It's really, really fun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really like the views and really nice scenery. Take some good pictures. It is cold but it's bearable. I stockpile all the necessities, food, drinks like that. Probably just stay in and watch movies, little guys night, and just have some fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: Now also important to mention, for Monday schools will be closed. New York City has the largest school district in the nation. That means over one million school kids will be looking forward to a full blown snow day. For the past few years, they've had remote learning days. That will be canceled. Tomorrow, they will have a full- fledged snow day. No classes, no remote learning. Very important.
And as I said, you know, the mayor really asking New Yorkers to stay off the road and also keeping an eye on vulnerable New Yorkers, those who may be outside, homeless New Yorkers. The city making sure that those who are outside can be brought in. They have significantly ramped up resources to make sure that people who are vulnerable can take shelter.
SANDOVAL: Without a doubt, that is priority number one, the safety. Well, children certainly very happy about tomorrow.
Gloria Pazmino, thank you for that live report.
We do want to turn now to our weather expert who is tracking the storm very closely. Want to go now to Owen Shieh. He's the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Thank you so much for joining us, Owen. We know that you've been very busy tracking the situation right now. Just off the top, how do you see this storm developing tonight into tomorrow? What do millions of people need to know right now?
DR. OWEN SHIEH, WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: The storm is certainly ramping up tonight. A lot of the rain that was present throughout the East Coast has transitioned into snow.
[20:05:05]
And so the snow rates will only increase as the night progresses. And tonight, we've got 41 million Americans under blizzard warnings extending from the mid-Atlantic all the way up through southern New England.
SANDOVAL: Obviously, we're still, you know, experiencing winter conditions throughout the region here. I'm curious, though, if you could just add some context by using your expertise here, there's a huge area that's currently under a blizzard warning from parts of Virginia really all the way up to, all the way up to Maine. How unusual is it to see such a wide swath currently under some form of winter related warning?
SHIEH: So a nor'easter type storm is not unusual for this part of the country, but we have lucked out over the last several years. New York hasn't had a blizzard warning like this since 2017, and Boston hasn't had one like this since 2022. And so we've looked out over the last few years, but this classic storm, although it's pretty typical, it's pretty high in magnitude. And so we're expecting fairly high amounts of snow.
But within the context of this season, one thing I'd like to emphasize for the viewers is that unlike the large major storm that occurred in late January, this one, ice will be less of a problem. It will be more focused along the coast as well as the I-95 corridor and heavy snow, as well as high winds will be the bigger problem. And the snow itself, because it's warmer, will be that heavier, wetter snow that just sticks.
And so that means more downed power lines when you add in the high winds and also heavier snow to shovel. And so word of caution for those who have to shovel their driveways, please don't overexert yourselves.
SANDOVAL: And then there's also the question of visibility. I mean, as you're speaking right now, we're showing a live EarthCam picture from high atop the Statue of Liberty. And you can see essentially how thick some of these snow bands are at the moment. So what is your advice for people who, again, it is strongly recommended by authorities that they simply stay put, stay where they are, especially through the night for anybody who perhaps needs to get to work during the overnight hours.
I mean, what makes these blizzard-like conditions different when you compare it to other weather events this year -- this season?
SHIEH: Excellent question. When it comes to blizzards, believe it or not the definition is actually more tied to stronger winds, so you can get snow that's not super heavy, but the winds are really strong. That can give you blizzard conditions. And so really that visibility is what is going to distinguish this storm compared to the last one. So the limited visibility will make travel extremely treacherous.
So highly recommend against traveling unless it's only for emergency purposes and for those who must go on the roads to travel for emergency purposes, definitely keep a winter weather survival kit in the car. And if you happen to be stranded, don't roam away from the car. Stay close by to your emergency survival kit.
SANDOVAL: Owen, where do you expect this blizzard to rank in terms of big storms that we've seen here in the region? SHIEH: It's really going to depend on the location since records are
different depending on which city that we're talking about. But in terms of just the northeast in general we're looking at, if the current forecasts verify, we're looking at potentially top 10, definitely in that range of snow accumulations in recent history.
SANDOVAL: Owen Shieh, thank you so much as always for your expertise. We know it's going to be a busy night for you. So really appreciate your time. Thank you.
SHIEH: Thank you for having me.
SANDOVAL: So at this hour, the entire -- of course. At this hour, the entire state of Connecticut, it is covered by blizzard warnings. Just a short time ago, a statewide travel ban on all commercial vehicles took effect. The governor declaring a state of emergency with possibly two feet of snow and blinding wind on the way.
We want to take you live now to Mystic, Connecticut, and Steffen Reals from our affiliate WTIC.
Steffen, where you are, you're there on the ground. I mean, it seems that at least there's not a whole lot of people on the roads. Is that an indication that people are heeding those warnings from officials?
STEFFEN REALS, WTIC REPORTER: We've actually talked to a few people about that, not just officials, but also people who have been traveling here from out of state. At this point, they were just keeping an eye on the storm and just getting ready to hunker down. We've seen people from Boston, from Raleigh, all who have come here to Mystic for other activities, work. And they just said, hey, all that's canceled, we're going to be hunkering down for the next few days, just trying to enjoy ourselves.
As for the conditions right now, you can kind of see the snow is really starting to pick up now. When it started around 6:00 p.m. or at least when I noticed it, it was a little light but now we're slowly starting to see accumulation tire tracks, I want you to come with me real quick, starting to form snow, starting to set. And really the most significant thing we're going to see, not necessarily the roads, which are already slick but we're going to be seeing it on cars and it's starting to hang.
Unlike the light and fluffy snow we saw the last time, this stuff is going to be wet and heavy, so a lot easier to draw CNN and just have it stay there so admire my art expertise for a second.
[20:10:08]
Going to get rid of the evidence now, but I've been talking with state leaders on a more serious note. Not just lawmakers but also the utility members as well who will be handling this. And when I spoke with Eversource, our utility company down here in New England, or I should say up here, they said that they're already expecting outages and that it could take several days, close to a week maybe, for all this restoration to finish because with this wet and heavy snow, these high winds and blizzard like conditions, it's going to make things very hard for crews not only to fix things, but get out there.
And we are really expecting these high winds to stick around until at least Tuesday. And that is when crews are expected to actually begin most of the power restoration. Up until then, they're just going to really try to focus, help out those fire policemen that they can. But we're also expecting a lot to happen potentially.
When I spoke with an Eversource spokesperson yesterday they said that they had already initiated their emergency plan to help tackle a lot of things and that that could potentially mean we could see up to 130,000 outages over the course of the storm. That doesn't mean we will, but that is the potential we could witness. And really, right now we're keeping our eyes on that level because it started at the lowest, at level five.
The last storm we saw in January did not get there. We're already at that yesterday, on Saturday. Today on Friday, when Governor Lamont had his press conference to kind of go over what the state was going to see, we heard from the Eversource president that that level had gone up to level four. It only goes up to level one so we already went up one. But I did speak with an Eversource spokesperson and they said that we could potentially see these restorations take between maybe two to six days for people out here in Connecticut.
So really the message has just been consistent, whether it came from Governor Lamont or if it came from mayors across the state, stay inside if you can help it, let the crews tackle what they can.
Back to you, Polo.
SANDOVAL: Steffen, thanks. First off, thank you for that snowy shoutout. Appreciate that. And then secondly, you know, the people in Connecticut, they are certainly -- they're certainly used to winter weather this time of year.
Do you think that they are getting a sense that this is certainly extraordinary, that they're getting the message, that they're -- that authorities there are quite concerned that this may not be the usual winter storm that they're accustomed to?
REALS: Well, that's the thing. I've only been in Connecticut for a year but even compared to the last winter that we went through back in 2025, it was not that bad. We maybe got a few inches. And from what people had said the past few years had really been a more mild winter. So when we had the storm last January, that was intense and we dealt with a lot of problems especially with the cleanup.
A lot of towns across the state had problems because people weren't really obeying those parking bans, and so plows couldn't really get through those streets. And even for myself, when I was trying to leave the station to go home, it was really hard to pass through those narrow neighborhood streets. So you're starting to see people take a little more seriousness with this, stock up, do what they can, but this is also from what lawmakers have said, what people have said, the biggest storm we've seen in years. So there is that added seriousness that we've been trying to convey to our viewers here at FOX 61 and other people have been trying to as well.
SANDOVAL: Yes. Whether you've been there for just a year or perhaps your entire life, there's no denying that it has been certainly a rough winter.
REALS: Yes.
SANDOVAL: Steffen Reals, thank you so much for your time and for your reporting. Do stay safe.
In Providence, Rhode Island, they could get more than a foot of snow from the storm. Up next, we'll be checking in with the mayor of Providence to see how things are going there. Don't go anywhere.
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SANDOVAL: And welcome back to CNN's breaking news coverage of a massive winter storm that is developing, affecting millions of people throughout the northeast.
We do want to turn now to Rhode Island, which is one of the many states that's feeling the impact of this massive bomb cyclone with the National Weather Service is predicting that wind gusts, they could likely reach category one hurricane strength. And that is one of the reasons why authorities are so concerned, especially when you factor in the winds plus some significant, modest, some pretty significant snow amounts that are predicted to reach anywhere from 18 to 25 inches in some areas. And that many authorities would agree is a recipe for power outages.
With us now, we do want to go now to the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Brett Smiley.
Mayor, thank you so much for taking some time to join us and bring our viewers up to speed.
MAYOR BRETT SMILEY (D), PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND: Thank you.
SANDOVAL: So we saw that Rhode Island State Police, they have put this travel ban in effect. Just, can you bring us up to speed on what that means and how long you expect those measures to remain in place?
SMILEY: So the first snowflakes in Providence started falling maybe 30, 45 minutes ago. The travel ban went in place at 7:00. And so I think some of our neighbors are saying, why is this necessary? But we know that there is major weather coming our way. And so the governor issued a state of emergency and a full statewide travel ban starting at 7:00. That is for the safety of our neighbors and it will also help us do a better job of snow removal and getting the state and city back open sooner.
And so what folks here need to know is that we're serious. We need you off the streets. This is a very serious storm. The worst of it for us will come overnight tonight, starting at maybe 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. But it is, as you point out, hurricane force winds and the worst blizzard that's been forecasted here at least for over a decade.
SANDOVAL: Mayor, living in the northeast, there's always or often this sense of a team effort to try to make it through these storms and that there's really quite a bit of responsibility especially for citizens to make sure that the streets are clear, so that snowplows can essentially do what they have to do.
You made it clear earlier today the importance of people honoring a parking ban there in Providence, something that we've also seen in other parts of the region here.
Did people listen or have your crews been really having to take some steps to make sure those roads are clear so your plows can then do what they have to do?
SMILEY: Yes, many of our neighbors are helping and complying, which is great. They're moving their cars to designated off street parking locations, but there is still a lot of cars left on the street. And so we are actively ticketing and towing. We've towed a couple hundred cars already and we're going to continue to do so. And that's expensive and burdensome for the vehicle owner. But in a historic city like Providence, and it's true of many New England cities, we have narrow streets that when there are cars parked on the street, the plows simply cannot get down the street.
And so all it takes is one car left on the street that can cause the plow to have to skip your street. And so we've had to get pretty aggressive. And I don't like being punitive like that but it's the only way that we can fairly deliver services for all of our residents. And so we've really stepped up our efforts in this storm. As you know, this is just the latest. It's been a tough winter. And we still have snow on the ground from the last several storms. But given the severity and impact of this storm we're taking it very seriously.
SANDOVAL: Without a doubt the northeast certainly used to snow this time of year, but I wonder if you could give our viewers in other parts of the world, especially those not accustomed to this kind of weather, just how unusual this system is when you hear from some of the weather experts that you've been in contact with the last couple of days.
SMILEY: Yes, I mean, the last couple of years and we would get a four to five-inch storm somewhat regularly throughout the winter. We handle those rather routinely.
[20:20:01]
We got about 16 or 18 inches a month ago in January which was significant, but it did not have the winds that accompany this. And so in the overnight hours here in Providence tonight, we're anticipating snowfall rates of two to three inches an hour. That is whiteout conditions. So our plow drivers will actually pull over to the side of the road for their own safety. They won't be able to see in front of their own trucks. Visibility will be down to almost zero and so we're expecting anywhere from 16 to 24 inches of accumulation. But then when you have 50 or 60 mile an hour winds, you'll also have snow drifts. And so there'll be some places that will look not quite as bad. And
then places with two or three feet snow drifts because it will blow that much. And so the final piece that's a complication here, you pointed it out a bit earlier, is power outages. Our statewide power utility estimates that there could be 100,000 to 150,000 power outages. There's only a million people in Rhode Island. And that's 100,000 to 150,000 households. So that is significant potential impact to the power grid here. And so, in addition to all the snow removal focus, we also have emergency warming centers and shelters on standby, should we have widespread outages here in the city.
SANDOVAL: So the potential for power outages, certainly those whiteout conditions that are on the horizon especially in the overnight hours that you mentioned, Mayor. What else is really one of your biggest concerns as this bomb cyclone continues to bear down on your region and other neighboring communities?
SMILEY: Well, after we get through the height of the storm it's really not supposed to stop snowing until Monday night tomorrow night. Cleanup is going to take a little while. You know, in the midst of that cleanup we know kids are going to start to get anxious, parents are going to get anxious about going to work. And so we're already planning for the cleanup efforts and for what is expected to be a multi-day cleanup. And so the disruption is not just going to be for the next 24 hours. It's going to persist for much of this week.
SANDOVAL: What would be your main statement, your recommendation and advice to not just the residents in Providence but also in other affected regions as they are hopefully watching this from the warmth and comfort of their homes.
SMILEY: Yes. Well, for anyone in the northeast that's about to get hit, please follow the advice of the public safety officials in your community and here in Providence do the same. This really will not be safe to be out on the roads. And we know that there are people who think that maybe they'll be just fine. But this is -- this is really dangerous travel conditions. And so we're first and foremost concerned about your safety.
Secondly, and you hinted at this earlier, this is a tight knit community and so many of our cities in the northeast and in New England are this way check in on your neighbors. Check in on your loved ones. Anyone who you think has mobility issues, underlying health conditions. Here in Providence homeowners and property owners are expected to clear their own sidewalks.
If you know your neighbor can't do that, be neighborly. Give them a hand. You know, it is -- the best part of our community is when we come together to help one another out. And there's no time that's more appreciated than a moment like this, and so if you've got kids in the house, send them out to go shovel the neighbor to maybe lessen the burden for just a little bit through what is the tail end we hope, of a hard winter.
SANDOVAL: That is a great note to end on here. We'll let you go. Again, Mayor Brett Smiley from Providence, bring us up to speed on the situation on the ground. We wish you and your community the best. We know it's a very resilient place and we'll keep checking back with you.
SMILEY: Thank you.
SANDOVAL: Thank you.
Our New York affiliate is also on the ground, in the elements. Rebecca Greenberg with Spectrum News One joining us now live here on CNN.
Rebecca, you're in Brooklyn right now. Here's what the situation is like there. We see some plowing activity happening.
REBECCA GREENBERG, SPECTRUM NEWS ONE: Yes, definitely. It is quite literally snowing sideways here in Brooklyn. We're just right next to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a major thruway here in New York City, and we are seeing cars fill up their gas tanks ahead of what will be an incredibly heavy blizzard that we are expecting here in New York City.
REBECCA GREENBERG, REPORTER, SPECTRUM NEWS NY1: I managed to pack a snowball for you to show you just how much snow is falling several inches at this hour and this is just the beginning. It's expected to get a lot worse. And you know, this is not the first snow that we've seen so far this winter season here in New York City. We have seen quite a lot of snow. Many New Yorkers were completely over it. They wanted spring to come, but that is simply not the case. There is a state of emergency in effect now here in New York City.
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No cars are allowed to travel starting at 9:00 p.m. They're urged to stay off the roads to ensure that safety vehicles can do their job and make sure that the streets are clear from all that snow, attend to people if there are any emergencies. So New Yorkers are definitely preparing for this.
SANDOVAL: And I think you hit on a really important point. I mean, you and I and the rest of the people who live in New York, we experience absolutely frigid conditions back in January. Is there a sense that obviously, at least the temperatures won't necessarily be as big an issue this time around when you compare the last winter storm we experienced here?
GREENBERG: One hundred percent. We're actually in a much better situation this time than we were just a few weeks ago. The last time we saw really significant snowfall because last time it was so much colder. It was below freezing every single day for weeks leading up to that snowstorm. Luckily, we have had some nicer days by comparison, right? Some days in the 40s. So the ground simply isn't as frozen.
So what we're hearing is that even though we're expected to see twice as much snow, it may take half the amount of time for the snow to melt simply because the ground isn't nearly as frozen as it was about a month ago. SANDOVAL: And then, of course, there's the decision for New York City
schools to make it an all-out snow day tomorrow. I mean, how are people, especially parents and children, I mean, what can you expect from them come Monday morning?
GREENBERG: I mean, a lot of kids are definitely happy about this news. This is something that they were hoping for the last time we saw that snowstorm here in New York. They are finally getting it. And it's just because it is simply too dangerous to travel anywhere. It's too dangerous for school busses, and we don't really know what sort of state the subway is going to be in when we wake up in the morning.
So this is definitely a smart move to make sure that everyone is as safe as possible. And also, this is good news for people who may need a warming center, because there will be 13 different schools that will be open across the city tomorrow as warming centers for people. We're also seeing about 10 or 11 warming centers at New York City health and hospital locations across the city, and we're also going to have 22 warming busses roaming the streets of the city.
So this is all good news for people who may not have easy access to somewhere warm and safe during these really hazardous conditions.
SANDOVAL: And Rebecca, before I let you go, I'm wondering if you could just really underscore what we've seen from New York City officials and this travel ban that's expected to kick in, in, what, about 30 minutes. I mean -- but the message that the mayor is essentially issuing, the millions of people who live in New York and effectively discouraging any non-essential activity from tonight until tomorrow afternoon. I mean, that's a decision that New York City's new mayor probably did not take very lightly.
GREENBERG: One hundred percent. This is not an easy decision for the mayor to make, especially because it makes everything more difficult for everyone else who assumes that they're going to go to work in the morning. But also, this is the right move because of how hazardous it is out on the streets at this hour. We do know that we have hundreds of sanitation trucks working overtime, thousands of sanitation workers clearing the streets, hundreds of salt spreaders working to make sure that people can walk safely if they do need to leave their homes.
But the mayor is saying do not leave your house if you don't have to. That is why we saw so many people going to supermarkets, going to gas stations, filling up their cars to ensure that they are able to go once the snow starts to clear after tomorrow. But he does not take the situation lightly. As you mentioned, in about 30 minutes, that state of emergency, that travel ban goes into effect and it will remain in effect until at least noon tomorrow. But things could be a lot worse.
We also heard from Governor Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York state, who is also giving critical updates on transit because at this hour we believe that the subway will be operating as normal. But we're also already seeing that some key transportation that we use every single day here in New York City will not be running tomorrow. That includes the ferry as well as the Long Island railroad. So a lot of changes for New Yorkers. That's why everyone is encouraged to stay inside.
SANDOVAL: Spectrum News One's Rebecca Greenberg, and her team, reporting live there from a very snowy Brooklyn. Thank you so much for that report.
And I do want you to stay with CNN with much, much more breaking news coverage after a break as we continue to cover this massive snowstorm that is bearing down on much of the northeast at this hour.
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[20:34:31]
SANDOVAL: And we are back with a major snowstorm that's hitting millions of people in the northeast. It's now intensifying, and it could bring a foot of snow, potentially even a foot and a half in some parts of the northeast. Places including New York City, the state of Philadelphia, Boston, all under blizzard warnings at this hour. And schools, many schools are closed tomorrow. Travel also being restricted throughout much of the northeast, including here in New York City.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in New York for us, as well as meteorologist Chris Warren.
[20:35:02]
He's standing by at the CNN Weather Center tracking this massive cyclone especially when you see it there on that map.
Chris, let's go to you first. I'm wondering if you could just walk us through what we could expect in the coming hours and especially Monday morning. What can we expect from the system?
CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, this system, Polo, is still going, right? It's still getting going, I should say. And it is about to go in a big way. What I mean by that is this rapid strengthening or that bombing out, becoming a bomb cyclone. That's in reference to just how fast it develops. It's like explosive development. And most of that is going to be happening between now and about 1:00 in the morning, and then it will be at its strongest throughout the day tomorrow.
That's what this is showing us. The forecast satellite. And when it gets that more symmetrical look to it, that's when it is going to be at its strongest. Like right there like in the morning throughout the day as it passes by the U.S.
Now with all that in mind, the strength of that is important because that means there's going to be some very strong winds associated with it. And already, think about this. It is just getting going. And what we're going to see here in New York in a moment. What we've been seeing throughout the northeast that snow is really coming down. It's heavy wet snow. It's sticking to a lot of stuff. And the winds have really yet to kick in. That's going to happen. And with that, the significance of this, the
extent of the blizzard warnings from Virginia here in the Delmarva all the way up parts of 11 states have a blizzard warning the entire state of Delaware, the entire state of New Jersey, and Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and most of Massachusetts under blizzard warnings.
Now, winter storm warnings is big enough of a deal. But you throw in the wind and the blizzard warnings, dangerous, very treacherous, if not life threatening travel conditions overnight and into early tomorrow for many areas.
See these little flashes out here, right in there? That's lightning. So that's another sign that this is strengthening. This is an intensifying system. When you look at the purple on the map this is the snow that's falling right now. Green is rain but the purple snow. So we're changing over to snow. Some areas start out as rain. Darker purple is where the heavier snow is right now.
And while there could be, you know, a foot, half a foot or a foot and a half or even two feet in some areas, it's really going to depend on where these bands set up. But I can show you one of those bands right here. You can kind of see it a little bit of a -- almost like a little bit of a plume right here of heavier snow. So what happens, when that comes closer, you get the heavier snow. In this case, it will be over eastern Long Island. It will set up and just absolutely crush with snow, possibly for hours.
That's why we'll get pockets that could see several inches more than some neighbors. So expecting still to see the significant snowfall here with the amount of snow, again could be widespread eight to 12 inches. So a foot, a foot and a half to even two feet in localized areas. Part of the reason why Eastern Massachusetts is going to see more is because you're going to have snow longer. They're going to be in the snow now, they're going to be in the snow for several hours. This is in the morning at 7:00.
See, right here is the center of the low, strong winds, the northeasterly winds. Nor'easter will be with us. These temperatures right around the freezing mark. When the temperatures around their freezing mark there's like partially melted snowflakes coming down just very, very, very small. And the snowflakes will start to stick to each other. So they're very big. They'll also stick to other stuff.
This is where when I say stuff, it could be anything. Trees, sides of trees. It's like a, you know, a plaster, a splattering of snow everywhere very sticky snow. It will weigh down branches, weigh down power lines that with the wind likely leading to power outages. Already seeing some power outages out there, likely to see more. This is tomorrow evening. Still some snow, the cape and the islands here before that low finally kicks out of here.
On top of all that, the water, the ocean being pushed onshore because of the winds are blowing toward the ocean, so minor to moderate flooding expected, which will be significant in its extent. Also the extent of winter storm impacts is just another way of looking at just how big of a deal this is going to be. The National Weather Service putting this out.
Major impacts, Polo, expected in red right here and then also extreme impacts, including almost the entirety of Long Island.
SANDOVAL: You know, you look at some of these cameras that we have throughout the region, and it -- that speaks volumes. But then when you see it on the map and the sheer size of this system, Chris, it's certainly just impressive. Almost looks like a hurricane. Hence the expectations of a potential category one hurricane level winds. And that tells you everything you need to know.
Chris, stand by for me.
I want to go back out to my colleague Gloria Pazmino. She and her team have been out in the middle of it all here in New York City following the situation there as it continues to deteriorate.
[20:40:06]
I know it is not easy out there, Gloria, but I'm wondering if you could just give us a sense of what's happening out there. And about 20 minutes before this travel ban is in place, in a city of eight and a half million people, what could that look like?
PAZMINO: Yes, Polo. We're less than a half an hour away from the travel ban, which is set to be in at 9:00 this evening. And as you said, you know, it is significant for the city of New York to ask people to stay off the roads and to institute that ban announced earlier today by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He is asking all non-essential workers, non-essential drivers, if you do not have an emergency, if you're not trying to get to a essential job, do not get behind the wheel.
And that's not just because this is going to be a dangerous storm creating dangerous conditions on streets and highways, but because there's going to be sanitation workers that are out trying to get the streets plowed and trying to get the snow cleaned in the next several hours, as more and more accumulates. So the streets, the bridges, the highways are all going to be shut down as of 9:00 to traffic.
Now, there will be some exemptions, some public transportation will still be operating. Emergency workers, essential workers will be allowed to be on the road. But again, the idea is to minimize traffic as much as possible. And I can tell you that having been out here since early this afternoon we have significantly seen the crowds dwindle, especially now that the sun has gone down, that it's starting to get very cold and the wind is starting to significantly pick up.
I have to tell you, my crew here, I have Maria and Chandler holding on to our equipment for dear life because it is so windy. So the next few hours conditions will significantly deteriorate. I also just want to mention Governor Kathy Hochul has activated the National Guard. They will be spread out across the state helping -- for people who may be stuck in their cars. Some traffic accidents expected to happen over the next several hours. So that's why it's so important for people to just avoid travel if you can. Also very important going into tomorrow morning, Polo, schools will be
closed. Very good news for one million students here in New York City who haven't had a full blown snow day for years now. In fact, since 2019 was when they had the last full blown snow day. They've been doing remote learning, but not tomorrow. They will be able to play in the snow, go out in the snow and have a proper snow day. So that was certainly very good news for city students.
I also want to mention, Polo, one thing that we are very closely tracking is how the city is going to handle vulnerable New Yorkers, homeless New Yorkers. The last time we had a storm, which was just less than a month -- less than a month ago, it was extremely cold, extremely dangerous. As a result of that storm 19 people died, many of them were outside, were homeless New Yorkers.
And the mayor has gotten a lot of criticism for how the city handled that storm in the after -- you know, after the initial days post cleanup. So the city ramping up resources, increasing warming centers, deploying outreach workers to make sure that people are not outside and those who are can be brought in. The city is in a code blue right now which means that obviously it's extremely cold, very dangerous. But it also means that shelter requirements are loosened and anyone who needs shelter can have access to it.
So the next several hours, we expect things here to significantly deteriorate. As I said, the mayor asking New Yorkers to stay off the roads. Public transportation operating on a limited schedule. We know that thousands of flights have been canceled. The train system, New Jersey Transit, the MTA, the Long Island Railroad, all operating on limited schedule over the next several hours into tomorrow, which, of course, is going to make for a very messy commute.
A lot of people who do not have to go into the office in person will likely not be doing so tomorrow morning -- Polo.
SANDOVAL: Yes, and really just emphasizing that point you just made, this will be a true test for New York City's new mayor, Mayor Mamdani, there especially the questions surrounding the follow-up cleanup process and of course other questions after the last storm event that you mentioned. So his actions will certainly be watched very closely.
Gloria Pazmino, Chandler, Maria, all of you out there, thank you so much. Stay warm. Stay safe.
And again this as reports are already coming in of some power outages in neighboring New Jersey.
[20:45:00]
Really just highlighting what has been a major concern for top city, local, state, even federal officials that are closely monitoring the situation in the northeast. Because in some parts of the country are experiencing really more of that heavier snow combined with heavy winds, then that does spell out the potential of power outages. So utility crews are certainly fanned out throughout the region and ready to respond when they're able to, when conditions are safe enough to do so.
We are watching the conditions quickly deteriorate throughout the region. We want to give you a live look again, another live look here in New York, where the snow continues to come down harder, faster. This live picture where it's 8:45 p.m. courtesy of EarthCam looking down on Lady Liberty. That lighting down below highlighting those bands of snow that Chris Warren just showed us on his map.
An update from New York's Suffolk County just ahead.
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[20:50:38]
SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN's breaking news coverage as we continue to follow a massive winter storm that is slamming parts of the northeast with a dangerous combination of heavy snow, fierce winds, and blizzard conditions. Forecasters say that parts of New York could see well over a foot of snow as temperatures continue to drop. Drivers there being urged to stay off the roads because of potential whiteout conditions.
You can see why, courtesy of this EarthCam shot over Lady Liberty in New York right now, where you could see some of those thick bands of snow in the New York City area.
Joining us now is Rich Schaffer. He's the supervisor of the town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York.
Rich, it's great to see you. Thank you so much for taking the time to update us.
RICH SCHAFFER, BABYLON TOWN SUPERVISOR: You too, Polo, and thank you for allowing me to come on. You know, I'm in North Babylon, which is on the Nassau-Suffolk border, about 50 miles east of where Gloria was in New York City. And we've already seen within the last hour and a half, about three inches of snow. We're expecting that to get worse overnight and into tomorrow morning.
The big concern is that this snow is a heavy snow. It's wet. It's going to really take a toll on our equipment as well as the plow operators. So we're expecting to have a lot of issues overnight, particularly with those blizzard like winds blowing in, looking at power outages right now. PSEG has done a good job so far. But overall, we're really concerned about the time between midnight into about 8:00 or 9:00 tomorrow morning.
SANDOVAL: And Rich, as we approach 9:00 p.m. here on the East Coast, we're now getting some of those initial reports of some power outages, specifically in New Jersey. But, you know, as you just highlight, that is certainly a concern for many states right now that are in the thick of it.
What have you and other local officials been doing to try to prepare for the possibility of those power outages? Because, you know, as you point out, this snow, it is heavy. It is wet. Combine that with winds, that's when you begin to see some of those power outages, I suppose.
SCHAFFER: You'll see that. And in fact, in Suffolk County, our county executive Ed Romaine instituted a travel ban, which goes into effect at 9:00 p.m. tonight. Only essential workers will be on. That's our volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel, as well as police and ambulance nurses that will be available. And Suffolk County is open and operating their emergency management center in Yaphank, which is one of the county centers.
Each town has got its own warming center that's available for residents who might find themselves in trouble, with losing power. So we've got a good intricate network that is set up. And those messages have been going out by e-mail and text over the last couple of days, alerting residents to that. So I feel pretty confident about what the county has done and what the local towns have done within Suffolk County.
SANDOVAL: And of course Suffolk County, you know, there's so many people who live there who, especially during the week, will commute into New York City for work. What is the message that you have for some of those folks? I assume, obviously many of them will have the opportunity to work from home or stay home tomorrow. But for those who perhaps have to travel out of the region, what is your advice?
SCHAFFER: If they've got to travel, they better check, because the Long Island railroad I know is powering down as we speak tonight. Bus transportation has been canceled for the most of the rest of today and into tomorrow and of course vehicle transportation is going to be very difficult, especially because the brunt of this storm is going to hit overnight and crews that are going to be doing the cleanup are going to need at least 48 hours to make a dent into what's going to be probably one of the top five storms that we've seen here in the region in the last 30 years.
SANDOVAL: Rich Schaffer, thank you so much for that update. You and the rest of the folks in Suffolk County do stay safe.
SCHAFFER: Thank you.
SANDOVAL: Well, the heaviest snow is expected to fall across the northeast in really just a few hours, as you just heard. Several areas already seeing snowfall. These live pictures right now from New York City's Times Square.
[20:55:02]
Some folks really taking it all in as a travel ban is expected to kick in in New York City in just a matter of minutes. And this as we continue to see conditions deteriorate, not just here in New York but as you see here in Philadelphia as well.
Stay with us for more breaking news coverage right here on CNN NEWSROOM.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
SANDOVAL: 9:00 p.m. on the East Coast. And you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York.
And we want to begin this hour with this powerful winter storm that is strengthening tonight in the northeast as we speak. And if you had travel plans for this part of the country you may as well forget about it. More than 5,000 flights have already been canceled for tomorrow. New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, all under blizzard warnings as the storm continues to intensify in the coming hours, it's expected to bring up to a foot and a half of snow in many areas, and possibly even two feet of snow for some parts of the affected region.
