The Northeast has been transformed into a winter wonderland following a record-breaking nor'easter that left many communities buried under feet of snow. AccuWeather.com's live coverage of the snowstorm has ended, but scroll down to get caught up on anything you may have missed, and ongoing coverage can be found here as the storm winds down. And for all of the latest weather news and forecasts, bookmark and visit AccuWeather.com daily.

Nor'easter blankets Northeast

A Spirit Airlines plane skidded off the taxiway at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport Thursday morning, according to WUSA9. The plane was arriving from Las Vegas and was in the process of taxiing when it skidded off the taxiway as it tried to make a turn toward the gate, according to the report. "After safely landing and entering the taxiway this morning, the nose wheel of Spirit Airlines flight 696 slowly slid onto the grass while turning a corner and taxiing to the gate," an airline representative told WUSA9. No injuries were reported.

A storm that walloped the Northeast on Wednesday brought some snow to Baltimore before the city later received rain. A snowfall total of 1.6 inches was measured at the airport.

The day after a doozy of a snowstorm, many residents across the Northeast are walking outside to at least a couple of inches of snow. For some folks, however, they're going to be walking into a couple of feet. As of 11 a.m. EST, the highest snowfall report has been shared by the town of Ludlow, Vermont, and the village of Newark Valley, New York, where 44 inches have been measured. More than 3 feet was also reported in parts of northwestern Pennsylvania. Intense bands of snow produced prolific snowfall rates of 4-5 inches per hour in some spots, including around Binghamton, New York. A storm total of 41 inches was reported in Binghamton.

The core of heaviest snow, on the order of 2-3 feet fell across southern New York state and northern Pennsylvania. A small band in this zone around Binghamton received 40 inches of snow where a narrow snow band remained nearly stationary for hours Wednesday night, AccuWeather meteorologists said.

More than 11,500 people are sent to the emergency room with shoveling-related injuries each year. And for people over 55, especially cardiac patients, the risk of heart attacks is increased by performing vigorous activities such as shoveling snow in the winter. Cold air causes arteries to constrict, which in turn raises blood pressure and pulse rates. Add intense cardio exercise on top of that, and it is the "perfect storm” for a heart attack in cardiac patients, Dr. Samin Sharma, director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, previously told AccuWeather in an interview.

Here are some tips experts recommend to reduce hazards while shoveling:

• Dress warmly and wear layers to keep your body temperature high, preventing inflammation and constriction

• Push, don’t lift the snow

• If you must lift, stand with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, keep your back straight and try not to twist your torso

• Shoveling snow more frequently can help to avoid the strain from heavier snow, especially as it can compact over time

• Cardiac patients should avoid strenuous wintertime activity

In the latest edition of AccuWeather's "Weather Insider" podcast, Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno recaps some of the highest snowfall totals and hints when and where the next big storm could take shape. Give it a listen below.

According to the National Weather Service in State College, Pennsylvania, the city of Williamsport smashed its all-time single-storm snowfall record with a whopping 24.7 inches. That record-breaking total was measured at 7 a.m. and includes snow that fell on Dec. 16 and 17. The previous single-storm snowfall record was 24.1 inches set on Jan. 12-13 in 1964. Record-keeping in Williamsport, a town famous for being home to the Little League World Series, began back in 1895. The city is located in north-central Pennsylvania about 200 miles west of New York City.

Heavy snow continues to fall across New England at this hour as the storm continues to make its way through the Northeast. Boston will remain in the storm's crosshairs through much of the day Thursday, as AccuWeather meteorologists expect snow to taper off there by 7 p.m.

Boston has already set a new daily record for Dec. 17, with 9.1 inches reported by 10 a.m, according to the NWS Boston. The previous record was 6.4 inches set back in 2013. Elsewhere in New England, Providence, Rhode Island, also set a new daily record with 4.4 inches measured by 10 a.m. That tops the previous record of 4 inches from 1961. Records have been kept in Boston since 1891 and 1904 in Providence.

A woman tosses a shovel full of snow while digging out her car, Thursday morning, Dec. 17, 2020, in Manchester, N.H. Southern New Hampshire is expected to be covered with over a foot of snow through the day from a Winter storm. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A 63-year-old Pennsylvania man was struck and killed by a snowplow on Wednesday night amid heavy snowfall. According to local TV station WTAE, officials identified the man as John A. Vichie, of North Versailles, a suburb about 15 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Trib Live reported that Vichie was walking with a snowblower just after dark when he was struck by the snowplow, which was operated by a municipal worker. Vichie was pronounced dead at the scene and identified later by the medical examiner’s office. Pittsburgh picked up more than 9 inches of snow from the storm and snow was falling lightly there on Thursday morning.

Road crews have a long day ahead of them on Thursday following the major nor'easter that dropped heavy snow on Wednesday and is still unleashing snow across parts of the Northeast this morning. Department of transportation maps show snow-covered interstates across Pennsylvania and New York this morning, where some of the highest snow amounts have been reported so far. Interstate 80 remains closed in many areas in Pennsylvania due to heavy snow, while in New York, interstates 81 and 90 are dealing with severe snow and ice coverage.

Road conditions on major interstates in New York as of 8 a.m. Thursday. (Image/New York Department of Transportation)

Road conditions on major interstates in Pennsylvania as of 8 a.m. Thursday. (Image/Pennsylvania Department of Transportation)

An intense snow band continues to pummel the Binghamton, New York, area, with the National Weather Service office there reporting 14.7 inches of snow since 1 a.m. EST alone. That translates to three consecutive hours of snowfall rates around 5 inches per hour. Total snowfall in the city thus far is over 33 inches.

A band of very heavy snow with snowfall rates in excess of 4 inches per hour continues to pummel northern Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York state. In Binghamton, New York, 23 inches of snow has fallen thus far, with 5.5 inches coming in the 1-hour timeframe from midnight to 1 a.m. EST, according to the National Weather Service. "Travel will remain very difficult during this time. Motorists are urged not to travel, but if you must travel, be prepared for snow covered roads and near zero visibilities," the office said.

As a result of this heavy band of snow that has set up, AccuWeather meteorologists have increased the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ to 40 inches.

Snow droughts that have lasted for several years are coming to end for some of the major metro areas of the Northeast. New York City's Central Park has observed 6.5 inches of snow and sleet from this early-season snowstorm, which tops their snowfall total for all of last winter of 4.8 inches, according to the National Weather Service. With snow and sleet expected to persist through the early morning hours, several more inches can continue to pile up.

Snowfall totals continue to mount across Pennsylvania, with the highest total thus far in Dushore located in the northeastern part of the state. Here, 18.5 inches of snow has fallen, but that number will continue to go up as snow persists through Thursday morning. At the National Weather Service office in State College, an official measurement of 12.5 inches was recorded at 11 p.m. EST. "For reference: the official State College observation site recorded 13.2" for the ENTIRE 2019-2020 winter season," the office stated.

At least six people were transported to area hospitals after being injured in a multi-vehicle crash on Wednesday evening around 6:10 p.m. EDT. Authorities said four of the injuries were said to be serious but not life-threatening, while two of the injuries were minor. The major pileup that shut down part of the Henry Hudson Parkway. The number of vehicles involved is unclear, but police say there were approximately 19 cars involved. According to ABC 7 New York, sources say that 9 of the 19 vehicles had to be towed off the bridge.

Besides the slippery roads causing delays and wrecks across the Northeast, hundreds of flights were canceled and rail service was suspended. Airlines canceled more than 1,200 flights ahead of the winter storm, USA Today reports. At least 700 U.S. flights were canceled on Wednesday and 500 were canceled on Thursday. Amtrak announced on Tuesday it would operate on a modified schedule in parts of the Northeast and cancel some services from Wednesday to Friday. The Northeast Regional train was set to run only between Newport News and Washington on Wednesday, the company said, and all Acela services for Thursday have been canceled. New Jersey Transit said it would suspend bus service in New York and northern New Jersey and rail service systemwide.

Snowfall totals have reached one foot in central Pennsylvania, the focal point of the worst of the storm so far. One band of intense snow has created a phenomenon known as thundersnow, when lightning and thunder are seen during intense bursts of snow. The thundersnow was detected near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where around 8 inches of snow has fallen. Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, may became the first of many towns to reach the one-foot mark with plenty of snow still expected to fall.

At least 30 to 60 vehicles were involved in a major crash on the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, late Wednesday afternoon. It is unclear what caused the accident to occur, but several injuries have been confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Police, including two fatalities. Snowy conditions were present at the time of the accident with travel restrictions in place on the highway due to the wintry weather, including a reduced 45 mph speed limit. The westbound lanes of the interstate have been closed in the area near where the crash happened.

The Pittsburgh area is expected to avoid the worst of the ongoing snowstorm, but a general 3 to 6 inches has fallen across the region as of Wednesday evening. Earlier in the afternoon, emergency crews were responding to an accident in Collier Township, located southwest of the city, when another vehicle lost control and slid right toward the people on the scene. Fortunately, the three people on the road were uninjured. Officials are warning people all across the Northeast to avoid travel if possible until the storm has passed and road conditions have improved. “This is a reminder to please SLOW DOWN and use CAUTION not only in this weather, but ALL the time,” Collier Township EMS said on Facebook.

With 10 to 15 inches of snow expected in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, contractors and residents alike started stocking up on supplies in Allentown. “I got my batteries, I got my flashlights and I have little power packs already charged so I can keep my cell phone, my iPad going, that kind of thing,” Allentown resident Cynthia Norman told AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell. Among the supplies sitting in the trunk of her car were a snow shovel and calcium chloride pellets, used for melting ice. In preparation for the storm, PENNDOT officials told AccuWeather they have a stockpile of 792,000 tons of salt on standby — along with over 4,000 workers and over 2,000 snowplows, salt spreaders and other trucks across the commonwealth. Meanwhile, Allentown’s own 50 trucks prepared for the storm will be busy clearing more than 440 miles of city streets.

Six weeks before Christmas, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok gave readers a look at what chances for a white Christmas might look like in their corner of the country as part of AccuWeather’s annual white Christmas forecast. Five weeks later, Pastelok’s prediction is looking like it could be spot on. Big cities in the Northeast, like New York City and Boston, don't typically have snow on the ground come Christmas morning, Pastelok pointed out. However, he said the scenario could be different this year and that some of those places could have some leftover snow from a storm close to Christmas – which is just the scenario unfolding as a nor’easter barrels up the Eastern Seaboard. Climatologically, Boston has about a 5% to 25% chance of having snow on the ground at Christmas. The odds of a white Christmas are much slimmer farther south on I-95. New York and Philadelphia have a less-than-5% chance of having snow on the ground on Christmas morning, according to 30-year averages. A little more than a week out from the big day, the next piece of the puzzle would be air that’s cold enough to preserve the snow that falls with the current storm. And that looks like it’s falling into places as well.

Accidents are piling up across Pennsylvania as snow accumulates on roads from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. AccuWeather National News Reporter Bill Wadell is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for the duration of the storm and saw the aftermath of a crash first-hand. “A driver lost control on a snow-covered road in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and crashed into a front porch,” Wadell said. Fortunately, no one was injured and officials were on the scene to help direct traffic around the incident. Many major highways across the Commonwealth have implemented a ban on most commercial vehicles and have reduced the speed limit to 45 mph, including much of Interstates 80, 81 and 99.

Snow continues to press northeastward across the mid-Atlantic with the first flakes starting to fall in the New York City area. The AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite captured the strengthening system on Wednesday afternoon around this time, giving a high-resolution look at the storm from space. This enhanced image displays a combination of the latest RealVue satellite image and the color-enhanced infrared band of satellites. It provides a detailed real view from above of clouds and weather systems while also allowing the colors to depict cloud heights and precipitation areas. Click here to follow the storm with the AccuWeather RealVue satellite page.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh urged residents to slow down and avoid travel altogether if possible Wednesday afternoon. The weather service said there were numerous reported accidents in the area, including one on Interstate 79 near Wexford, as heavy bands of snow moved through western Pennsylvania. AccuWeather meteorologists predict about 4-8 inches of snow in the Steel City through Wednesday night. So far, about 3 inches have been reported southwest of Pittsburgh in the town of McMurray and the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Carrick, according to the NWS.

A snow emergency has been declared in Boston and a parking ban will go in effect in the city starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to Mayor Marty Walsh. Any vehicles on city streets that serve as snow emergency routes will start to be towed after 6 p.m. City officials also said there will be no in-person learning for city schools on Thursday and city-sponsored mobile COVID-19 testing sites will be closed.

“Boston hasn’t seen a sizable snowstorm since March of 2019 — over 21 months ago. I am urging everyone to be ready and prepared,” Walsh said in a statement. “I ask all our residents and workers to be alert and remain cautious on our roads and sidewalks. Our Public Works Department will be working hard to pre-treat and clean our roads during this snowfall, and I thank them for their hard work. We are asking residents and businesses to do their part by staying safe, shoveling their sidewalks, walkways, catch basins, and fire hydrants, and looking out for one another as neighbors. The City of Boston will continue to share updates throughout the storm.”

AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting anywhere from 10-15 inches of snow for the city from Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon. Boston was one of the few Northeast cities that had a decent helping of snow last winter, with a total of 15.2 inches. That total is still well short of what the city averages each winter, which is around 42.9 inches.

Much of the Northeast is set to take a hit from a major nor’easter that will leave plenty of snow for making snowmen. New York City could pick up 10-15 inches, according to AccuWeather forecasters, and even more could pile up in the city's northern and western suburbs. Down in Navarre, Florida, which is on the panhandle just west of Pensacola, “snowmen” of another sort were spotted. There won’t be any snow down there – the weather is seasonable with highs forecast in the low 60s and a spritz of rain – so some folks took to making “sand snowmen” on the beach. Janie Driscoll told Storyful she posted video on Facebook showing sand snowmen that were created during a sand-sculpting class on the beach. One had the words “Merry Christmas” drawn on its back – perhaps the closest folks in the Sunshine State will come to seeing a white Christmas. For folks up north, a white Christmas looks to be a real possibility as the cold air that sweeps in behind this storm could preserve much of the snow that falls up until the big day.

Heavy snowfall and strong winds will threaten to down power lines this week in the Northeast. To prepare ahead of time, here’s a list of precautions to take in case of a power outage in cold weather:

• Use towels to block drafts from windows and door cracks

• Run a bathtub of hot water to draw heat to the house

• Avoid carbon monoxide dangers — don’t rely on gas stoves, charcoal grills or other open-flame heat sources. In addition, keep generators outside and away from doors, windows and vents

• Keep stock of non-perishable foods

• Limit non-emergency phone calls and keep a portable charger ready

• Keep emergency phone numbers and any children’s emergency medication organized and accessible

As the snowstorm begins to ramp up in the Northeast, it has already left behind a modest amount of snow across Indiana as well as slippery road conditions. According to the Indiana State Police, troopers responded to 48 vehicle accidents that resulted in four injuries since late Tuesday. Several inches of snow fell across the state, including the Indianapolis area. More than 4 inches of snow was measured new Kokomo, Indiana, which is about 58 miles north of Indianapolis.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Twitter Wednesday that he was declaring a state of emergency ahead of the winter storm. The declaration is set to begin at 2 p.m. "State offices will be closed beginning at 1:00 PM," Murphy wrote. "We urge all New Jerseyans to stay off the roads, stay at home, and stay safe. Some of the worst storm conditions could unfold across the northern parts of the Garden State, AccuWeather meteorologists have been warning. The storm could unleash whiteout and blizzard conditions across portions of northern New Jersey and into New York state.

The storm is seen closing in on New Jersey around 12 p.m. EST Wednesday.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation issued a commercial vehicle restriction on multiple interstate highways beginning at 1 p.m. The restriction applies to "empty straight CDL-weighted trucks, any passenger vehicles towing trailers, motorcycles and recreational vehicles," the agency said. New Jersey will receive a wide range of impacts from the powerful storm. Parts of southern New Jersey will be lashed by rain and wind, while northern parts of the state deal with blizzard conditions.

One of the big reasons forecasters have been confident that there would be a major snowstorm this week was the presence of Arctic air that will keep temperatures below freezing in many areas. This fresh cold air from high pressure situated over northern New England and southeastern Canada is the chief ingredient that will result in blockbuster snowfall totals. Temperatures in the Northeast as of 11 a.m. EDT range from the low 30s Fahrenheit in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley to the teens and even single digits across parts of Maine.

(AccuWeather)

In fact, snow is already beginning to stick to roads around State College, Pennsylvania, where AccuWeather is headquartered. Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno took a video shortly after 10 a.m. showing the early stages of the storm as it laid a coating of snow in the company's parking lot.

Transportation agencies continue to stress that drivers should remain off the road for the upcoming winter storm unless driving is unavoidable. “Unless you really got to get out, I see [ice] not worth getting out and driving on. Snow, different story. Ice? Not great for driving,” North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson David Uchiyama told AccuWeather. “However, if you do need to get out, be very very careful.” Freezing rain and ice will be a concern mostly in Virginia and western North Carolina into Wednesday night. Washington, D.C., can receive up to 3 inches of snow — what AccuWeather On-Air Meteorologist Geoff Cornish says, “is also a relatively big deal, it just gets overshadowed by what’s going on farther north.”

Snowfall rates in Pennsylvania will vary by a couple of inches with some areas possibly receiving up to two feet of snow, but PennDOT Deputy Secretary Melissa Batula said that crews are prepared. “At PennDOT we’ve been preparing for this winter since the last one ended,” Batula said in a Facebook video.

Poughkeepsie, New York, saw temperatures just over 20 degrees on Wednesday morning, and although the scene of the Hudson River behind AccuWeather National Weather Reporter Dexter Henry was calm, it won’t last for long. “Everything looks nice, but the Hudson Valley region here is expected to see the first major snowstorm of the year and what people are calling the biggest snowstorm in years, saying that [it will be] the biggest snowstorm for this region since March of 2018,” Henry told AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

In New York City, both the Department of Sanitation and Mayor Bill de Blasio are urging people to stay off the roads and stay safe. Watch Henry's report below.

The biggest snowstorm in several years for the Northeast is nearly underway. AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has a detailed update on how the storm is coming together in the latest edition of AccuWeather's "Weather Insider" podcast. Rayno also explains where the storm forecast is the trickiest and which areas are expected to receive the heaviest snow amounts. Give it a listen below.

Roadways from Virginia to Illinois were facing snowy to icy road conditions by Wednesday morning, prompting the Virginia Department of Transportation to tweet a slew of warnings Wednesday morning as crews faced the storm they had been preparing for since at least the beginning of the week. The Ohio Department of Transportation announced that as of 8:15 a.m. EST, nearly 600 crews were out treating and plowing roadways across the state — 300 more crews than had been mobilized an hour previously. Around 4 a.m., the Ohio DOT had just over 30 crews out on the roads. Farther to the south, James Singleton, a meteorologist at the Redwood, Virginia-based station Cable 12 TV, reported that the state police were already warning of icy bridges at MM118 on I-81, and that a VDOT radio had described one roadway as a “solid sheet of ice.”

Ice was beginning to accumulate early Wednesday across parts of North Carolina and West Virginia, with the highest reported total so far coming from Saluda, North Carolina, located in the southwestern part of the state.

A radar loop shows the monster storm stretching from the Ohio Valley to the Southeast and taking aim at the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, bringing a mix of rain snow and ice. (NOAA/ AccuWeather)

(NOAA / AccuWeather)

The monster storm is strengthening ahead of its snow dump in the Northeast, but the storm system itself spans far enough to reach from the Ohio Valley down to the Southeast. Areas across the southern Appalachians saw the initial stages of the storm on Tuesday night and impacts will spread across the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic on Wednesday before reaching New England on Wednesday night. The wide-ranging storm will not bring the same snow intensity to the Ohio Valley that it will to the Northeast, but slippery roads and 1-3 inches are still expected to cover parts of southern Illinois, southern and central Indiana, much of Ohio and western West Virginia.

The AccuWeather WinterCast has pinned Philadelphia to see about 4 to 8 inches of snow by the end of the upcoming winter storm. The city typically sees this amount of snow from a single December storm about once in a span of about four years, though it’s been nearly a decade since the city saw more than 6 inches of snow on a single December snowstorm. The last time the city saw 6 inches of snowfall in a day was on Dec. 8, 2013. Should the snowfall from this storm accumulate toward the higher end of the forecast of 4 to 8 inches, it would make the list for the top 10 snowiest December days recorded in Philadelphia.

(AccuWeather)

Ahead of the looming nor'easter, the National Weather Service is asking everyone to get their snow measuring tools ready. Accurate and timely snowfall measurements are important because the National Weather Service relies heavily on volunteers and the general public to provide snowfall measurements during winter weather events. There are six steps to measuring snowfall as precisely as possible:

• Find a ruler, a white board that is 24 inches by 24 inches and a flag

• Find an open area away from tall objects, but sheltered from wind

• Set up the board and mark it with the flag before snow begins

• Measure once daily at the same time, after measuring place the board on top of the snow

• Measure as soon as the snow stops to avoid lower totals due to melting, settling and drifting

• Send the National Weather Service your report

New York City may see more snow from the pending storm than last season’s snow total. About 4.8 inches of snow fell last season in Central Park compared to its 28.5-inch average. However, AccuWeather is forecasting 6 to 12 inches of snow to fall across New York City from just from this week’s snowstorm. The last time the city saw more than 6 inches of snow from a single storm was Dec. 26-27, 2010, when about 20 inches fell.

Snowfall totals will vary dramatically over a short distance on the southeastern side of the storm, ranging from a few inches to more than a foot over just a few miles. This sharp gradient will be caused by warm air that will cause snow to turn over to a wintry mix, cutting into snowfall accumulations. "A shift farther to the east or west by 25 miles can have a huge impact on accumulation of snow versus more mixing of rain and snow and plain rain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis said. For example, Washington, D.C. may only see an inch or two of snow, while suburbs to the northwest could be buried in 6 to 12 inches of snow. Similarly, Philadelphia is forecast to pick up around 4 to 8 inches of snow, while areas to the northwest where precipitation stays snow throughout the duration of the storm will receive more than a foot of accumulation.

The last time New York City picked up 10 inches of snow or more from a single storm was way back on Jan. 23, 2016, when a whopping 27.5 inches buried the Big Apple, according to NWS records. That turned out to be the highest single-storm snow total in city history. But since then, almost five years later, New York City hasn’t even managed a 10-inch snowfall. And last year the city, like many places in the Eastern U.S., went through a snow drought. A total of 4.8 inches of snow fell last season in Central Park, well below its seasonal 28.5-inch average. AccuWeather is forecasting up to 12 inches of snow to fall in the city from the approaching storm, more than enough to eclipse last season's snow total in one fell swoop – and it could be enough to hit the 10-inch mark. On average, New York City sees a 6-inch to 10-inch snowfall during December every 5.4 years. And the last time New York City saw more than 6 inches of snow from a single storm in the year’s last month was on Dec. 26-27, 2010, when about 20 inches came down.

Virginia Department of Transportation (DOT) trucks have taken to roadways and interstates to put down brine across the region in preparation for the ice and snow that threatens treacherous travel. “Please allow them space to work as this solution helps to keep ice from adhering to the pavement,” Virginia DOT said on Twitter. Salt has always been applied to roadways since it lowers the freezing point of any water it comes into contact with. However, crews are now using more effective measures to prevent dangerous road conditions — salt brines. Using salt brines, which is any liquid salt mixture, before anticipated snowfall was discovered to be more effective than using solid rock salt. Brines have the same melting characteristics of solid rock salt, but since it is applied in liquid form, the salt can begin to work immediately.

The Virginia Department of Transporation began to pre-treat roads with salt brine on Tuesday ahead of the gathering snowstorm. (Twitter/VaDOTSalem)

Over a foot of snow is forecast to fall over a large swath of the Northeast stretching from the mountains of West Virginia through Rhode Island. Even New York City has a chance to pick up a foot of snow when all is said and done. The highest accumulations are expected in a pocket stretching from northeastern Pennsylvania into far northern New Jersey with 18 to 24 inches of snow will pile up. Some of the higher elevations of the Pocono Mountains could potentially reach the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches.

Following last winter’s snow drought, residents in D.C. are set up for a shock of significant snowfall from this week’s storm. Last winter, the nation’s capital only received 0.6 inches of snow over the course of the season — significantly lower than the 18 inches of snow that it typically receives over the winter. In addition, this will be the first threat for a high impact snowstorm for areas north and west of Interstate 95 since January 2016, according to the NWS office for Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. “The fact that a potentially historic snowstorm is coming early on this winter, right on the heels of a snowless winter last year, adds to the contrast and apparent hyperbole of the storm,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Soda said.

New warnings have been hoisted for millions of people from New York City through Boston as residents prepare for the first major snowstorm of the season. Winter storm warnings were already in effect from the mountains of northern North Carolina through eastern Pennsylvania, but late Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a new batch of warnings through southern New England. “Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the NWS office in Albany New York said. “Snowfall rates [will approach] 2 inches per hour at times Wednesday night.” Snow this heavy can overwhelm road crews working to keep highways clear of snow. “If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” the NWS added.

With Christmas just 10 days away, there is the chance that some snow from the imminent nor’easter could stick around into the holidays. One factor that will play a role in this is frigid air that will chill the Northeast in the storm’s wake. "On the heels of the major winter storm that will bury much of the mid-Atlantic and portions of the Northeast with over a foot of snow, some exceptionally cold air for mid-December will linger later on Thursday, Thursday night and Friday," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski. This likely won’t be record-setting cold, but temperatures will average below normal for several days following the nor’easter.

Additionally, this part of December features some of the shortest days of the entire year, so the limited sunlight will translate to less snowmelt when compared to the slightly longer days during the latter part of winter. The shorter days combined with the reinforcing shot of cold air could be enough to put a smile on the face of those across the region’s interior who are dreaming of a white Christmas. “If any locales get around a foot or more of snow, it could be enough to last until Christmas,” AccuWeather long-range meteorologist Tyler Roys said.  

The disturbance that will eventually evolve into a major snowstorm over the eastern U.S. is currently spreading snow over part of the Plains. Snowfall accumulations have generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches in eastern Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle with a few locally higher amounts. This snow is expected to tapper off on Tuesday night as the system advances eastward as it strengthens into a larger, far-reaching winter storm.

(AccuWeather)

Indoor dining has been suspended across New York City for at least two weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions, forcing restaurants to rely on outdoor seating and takeout. However, the pending snowstorm across the Northeast now poses another hurdle for restaurants to overcome. A snow alert was issued on Monday that will put a temporary end to outdoor dining in the city. The city estimates that the snow alert will be over by Thursday evening, allowing restaurants to reopen, but this may change based on roadway conditions. Enzo’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue started preparing for the storm’s impacts on Monday “by being pro-active and calling offices and hospitals, police departments, fire stations, and seeing if they were willing to get orders to go for lunchtime, dinnertime,” manager Robert Aste told ABC7 Eyewitness News.

Forecasters are warning that this blockbuster storm will hit hard and fast on Wednesday, potentially disrupting — if not shutting down— travel, closing schools and causing power outages. While some schools with remote learning may not call for a snow day, there’s the potential that students without generators in their household and people working from home may still face an accessibility barrier from the intense weather. These power outages will be more widespread near the coast, where the trees and power lines will have to weather stronger winds.

Winter storm warnings are in place from parts of northwestern North Carolina to northern New Jersey, while winter storm watches are currently in place from parts of the Appalachians into southeastern New England.

A winter storm warning means that snow, sleet or ice is expected and you should take action, according to a National Weather Service definition. A warning is usually issued when forecaster confidence is high that a winter storm will cause significant impacts. A winter storm watch means that snow, sleet or ice is possible and people should be prepared, according to the NWS. A watch is usually issued for when confidence is medium that a winter storm could produce significant impacts.

Farther south, winter storm advisories are in place across parts of western North Carolina and northwestern South Carolina. A significant accumulation of ice is expected in parts of the mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. from this nor'easter.

A winter storm advisory means that wintry weather is expected with mainly light amounts of precipitation. "Exercise caution," the NWS says.

AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has been tracking the potential for a major winter storm since the middle of last week. Now, with under 24 hours until the storm really ramps up, Rayno says all the necessary ingredients in place for the storm to produce a thump of snow. One of those key ingredients is a fresh round of cold air that poured into the region on Monday. Hear a detailed analysis from Rayno on the storm's potential track and which areas could be buried by a foot or more of snow.

Nearly a year after the first COVID-19 case was announced to the public, the much-anticipated vaccine has finally not only been approved for emergency use in the U.S., but has been shipped out across the nation. However, an impending snowstorm may threaten to delay some of those doses from reaching part of the most populated areas in the Northeast. The first vaccine shipments left Pfizer’s main manufacturing site in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Sunday, and more have since set out into Tuesday with delivery expected on Wednesday — right when the storm is expected to escalate.

“While some operations and service may be impacted by severe local weather conditions, we will provide service to the best of our ability to accessible areas, and contingency plans are in place,”Sederia Gray, a senior communications specialist for FedEx, told AccuWeather in an email. Both UPS and FedEx have been entrusted to deliver the vaccines across the nation. When AccuWeather asked Matthew O'Connor, a Senior Manager of Media Relations at UPS, what their contingency plans were for inaccessible roadways, O'Connor responded that that information was “classified.”

The term “nor’easter” is typically reserved for the more intense storms along the northeastern seaboard that have the potential to cause significant impacts to lives and property. While these storms are often associated with fierce blizzard conditions along with high winds and snowfall, those alone are not criteria for this type of storm. Rather, the storms are called “nor’easters” due to the coastal winds originating from a northeasterly direction. Intense strengthening of these storms can then occur if they move across a cold front in the eastern U.S. or if the storm collides into high pressure sitting over southeastern Canada or northern New England. In the case of the latter, there is the potential for the nor’easter to transform into a bomb cyclone.

A look at the national weather radar on Tuesday morning showed a rather tranquil pattern in place across the mid-Atlantic and much of the Northeast. Apart from some snow flurries falling over parts of New York and Pennsylvania, not much was happening. But AccuWeather forecasters say that in 24 hours that will all change dramatically as the ingredients for a major winter storm come together and begin moving across the region. For many places, the storm has the potential to dump the largest amounts of snow in years. Stay tuned here on AccuWeather.com and on the AccuWeather TV network for continuing coverage of a storm that has the potential to bring snow, ice and blizzard conditions Wednesday into Thursday.

The national weather radar showed the calm before the storm across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast early in the day on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (AccuWeather)

(AccuWeather)