Mayor Mamdani warns of 20 inches of snow as 6am Sunday deadline looms

Pedestrians climb over snow banks to try and cross the streets in New York. (AP Photo/ File)

Blizzard warnings have been issued on Saturday for New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut as a major storm is forecast to hit a large part of the East Coast with heavy snow and damaging winds, forecasters said.

The forecast the National Weather Service (NWS) suggests that more than a foot of snow and wind gusts at a speed of over 55mph is projected to hit the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. The NWS said that flooding is also possible in parts of New York and New Jersey, AP reported.

The weather services’ blizzard warning for New York City is first since 2017 and comes as parts of NYC still remain blocked with hilltops of ice, which is leftover from the previous major storm which struck nearly a month ago. NWS stated some of the heaviest snow is projected to fall overnight on Sunday.

The weather service has forecast 1 to 2 feet of snow in several areas.

NWS blizzard warnings have been issued for:

New York City

Long Island

Southern Connecticut

Boston

Coastal communities in New Jersey

Delaware

Maryland

Rhode Island

Massachusetts

What has NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on blizzard warning?

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, during a press conference on Saturday, cautioned that snowfall in the city could go up to 20 inches. The blizzard warning comes into effect at 6am (local time) on Sunday and it is expected to last till 6pm on Monday.Story continues below this ad

“We are now expecting between 13 to 17 inches of snow, but there is a slight chance we may see up to 20 inches, if not more,” Mamdani said, adding that efforts the authorities to get unhoused New Yorkers off the streets to shelters would begin on Saturday noon.

According to a Reuters report, a combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds is expected to hit New Jersey to southeastern New England, while Washington DC and Baltimore areas are under winter storm watch. The weather service has stated that the strongest impact of the storm will be on the coast.

(with inputs from agencies)