Major Blizzard Takes Aim at Delaware, East Coast as Forecasts Worsen

A powerful winter storm is bearing down on Delaware and the East Coast with forecasters now warning of 1-2 feet of snow and damaging winds up to 55 mph. The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings from Maryland to Massachusetts as the storm intensifies beyond initial predictions.

Communities across the East Coast, including Delaware, are rushing to make final preparations as meteorologists warn of a major blizzard bringing heavy snowfall and destructive winds from Maryland through Massachusetts.

Weather officials caution that Sunday’s storm system could deliver far more severe conditions than initially forecast just days earlier.

Forecasters predict 1 to 2 feet of accumulation across much of the region, prompting blizzard advisories for major metropolitan areas including New York City, Boston, and coastal areas throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Coastal flooding may also affect portions of New York and New Jersey.

“While we do get plenty of these nor’easters that produce heavy snow and strong impacts, it’s been several years since we saw one of this magnitude across this large of a region in this very populated part of the country,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center.

According to Snell, the weather system will make its first appearance Sunday morning near the Washington area before moving northeast toward Philadelphia and New York City, ultimately reaching Boston by evening.

The most substantial snowfall is expected during overnight hours from Sunday into Monday.

Meteorologists indicate the storm may initially bring rain to certain locations before conditions deteriorate. The heaviest accumulations are forecast for Sunday night, with snowfall rates potentially reaching 2 inches per hour in some locations, before diminishing by Monday afternoon.

Wind gusts reaching 55 mph could create whiteout conditions that “will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages,” weather officials warned.

Local authorities are working frantically to prepare for a storm system that meteorologists initially expected to have much less impact.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the city would build upon strategies used during a significant snowfall several weeks prior. However, officials postponed any decision about Monday school operations for now.

“We saw on Friday there was expectation that the likelihood was that we were going to face maybe 3 to 4 inches of snow. Quickly that then changed,” Mamdani said. “So we want to make sure that we make a decision based on up-to-date and accurate information.”

City officials have secured additional snow removal machinery from neighboring areas and plan to expand geocoding technology to monitor bus stops and pedestrian crossings requiring clearance, according to Mamdani.

As the storm approaches, John Berlingieri canceled a family vacation to Puerto Rico to ready his business, Berrington Snow Management, for what may become an enormous undertaking: removing snow from millions of square feet of pavement at shopping centers and industrial facilities throughout Long Island.

Workers have spent recent days charging batteries for the company’s 40 front-loading vehicles and installing new windshield wipers on snow removal equipment before taking Saturday to rest.

“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”

This storm system arrives as frozen remnants from a previous snowfall that hit the area weeks ago were just beginning to thaw.

Atlantic City, New Jersey officials advised residents and gambling establishment patrons to avoid roadways, particularly in low-elevation areas susceptible to flooding.

“I could go on and on probably with a good two dozen streets where we know we will get water and there will be snow on top of that,” said Scott Evans, the city’s fire chief and emergency management coordinator. “So you won’t be able to see it until it’s too late. So therefore please stay at home.”

Numerous churches have suspended Sunday worship services and programming. To accommodate parishioners, St. Veronica Parish in Howell, New Jersey, scheduled an additional Mass for Saturday evening.

“Please stay safe, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep one another in prayer during the storm,” the Rev. Peter James Alindogan posted online.