Storm to hit Northeast; blizzard watch for New York, Boston

As of 9 p.m. Sunday, 44 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport and 11 were canceled at Midway International Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Predictions of a blizzard bringing two feet of snow in major cities Tuesday quickly proved overblown as precipitation from Winter Storm Stella switched over to sleet in many areas along the East Coast.

Total accumulations will now be 4 to 8 inches in New York City.

Some 31 million Americans were waking up to blizzard warnings across the Northeast, NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins said, while an additional 31 million were under winter storms warnings and a further nine million were under a winter weather advisory.

The treacherous conditions are expected to wreak havoc on the Tuesday morning commute.

The Port Authority of NY and New Jersey was installing hundreds of pieces of snow equipment at the three NY area airports. The service’s data goes back to 1893, he said. “We’re expecting it to be the worst snow of the season”, she added. Wind gusts will frequently top 40 miles per hour and could near 60 miles per hour at times on Long Island.

This map shows the final snowfall projections by the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly.

As much as 8 inches of snow could fall on the Charlottesville area Monday evening through Tuesday, creating the potential for delays and cancellations throughout the region after several weeks of mostly spring-like weather.

Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilties are likely, the National Weather Service said.

“I strongly urge everyone to limit unnecessary travel on Tuesday and if you must drive, please plan ahead, be careful, and stay safe”, he said in a statement.

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is expected to deploy several emergency vehicles in Suffolk County and the Mid-Hudson, with additional vehicles on standby in case additional assistance is needed.

The blizzard watch extends beyond New York City to Long Island, Southern Westchester, Southern Fairfield, Southern New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties.