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Jan. 29 (UPI) -- A winter snowstorm hit the U.S. Northeast on Saturday morning, causing power outages in the region and forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights nationwide. The storm pummeled New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, where snow fell at rates of about 1 inch to 2 inches per hour, according to Accuweather.
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The NWS had warned that the storm -- described by officials as a powerful nor'easter, with winds blown from the northeast -- could bring near-record snowfall and blizzard conditions to parts of New England.
Though the storm ultimately did not bring record snowfall to New York City, officials continued to warn of dangerous conditions because of the amount of snowfall and high winds.
"Whether or not the snow falls during the time of the blizzard, dangerous conditions can result," National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly tweeted.
Blizzards are defined by blowing or falling snow, winds of at least 35 mph, and visibility of a quarter-mile or less for at least 3 hours, the National Weather Service, which issued several blizzard warnings, noted.
Wind gusts were recorded at 83 mph on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, reaching the level of a Category 1 hurricane. Gusts reached speeds of 40 mph in New York City and Washington D.C. and were expected to reach as high as 65 mph in Boston and 50 mph in Portland, Maine.
Tens of million of people remain under winter weather alerts, stretching from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, CNN reported.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday issued a state of emergency for downstate New York -- the region of the Empire State which includes New York City, Long Island and the surrounding counties of Rockland, Westchester, Richmond and Putnam.
"So far, we're seeing exactly what the forecast predicted -- a lot of snow in a short period of time and gusty winds that will make it difficult to travel throughout the rest of the day, especially on Long Island," Hochul said. "The most dangerous phase of the storm is now."
Mayor Eric Adams was seen traveling through New York City on Saturday carrying a black shovel to help clear sidewalks, the New York Post reported.
"I find creative ways to exercise," he said.
Despite the winter storm, New Yorkers took to city parks and streets to enjoy the snow -- including a group of nuns who were pictured sledding in Central Park before attending a baptism.
According to the National Weather Service, more than 7.5 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park as of 1 p.m. while Coney Island in Brooklyn saw more than 11 inches.
Parts of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island saw as much as 22 inches of snow -- which was reported at the Islip Airport.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a CNN report that Long Island is the "epicenter' of the storm, which was expected to continue to drop snow across parts of the state until 6 p.m.
In Connecticut, snow as deep as 10.8 inches was reported near Fairfield. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont urged residents to help officials dig out fire hydrants.
"It's a huge help to local firefighters who will otherwise have to do it themselves. They'll greatly appreciate it," Lamont tweeted.
Trains through the state had suspended service Saturday but were expected to resume on Sunday.
Over a foot of snow has been reported in parts of New Jersey, according to the NWS, as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the Jersey Shore was "getting clobbered" and urged residents to stay indoors.
Murphy told CNN that he was mainly concerned with the accumulation of snow and very high, gusty winds.
He added that Atlantic City, Asbury Park, Manasquan and Avalon were among communities seeing such winds and 15-plus inches of snow, with several more hours of snowfall expected.
"We brined roads up and down the states," Murphy said. "[We] prepositioned what is now probably 3,000 vehicles, pieces of equipment, to deal with this. [We're] working very closely with contractors, county local officials ... it's a whole array of steps you take.
"You do everything you can but you can't deny the fact it's Mother Nature," he added. "So you can mitigate some of this, but you can't necessarily overcome all of it."
The state has dealt with fewer power outages than expected, at under 1,200 outages, and the governor asked residents to remain patient.
Officials in Atlantic County, N.J., activated the county's Emergency Operations Center due "to accumulating snow, increasing winds, minor coastal flooding and whiteout conditions as the county remains under a blizzard warning through 4 p.m. today with snow falling at rates of 1-3 inches in some areas near the coast," a county statement shows.
Atlantic City Electric reported power outages affecting 374 homes, and county officials urged residents to stay home and off the roads, warning that "travel is extremely dangerous," due to snow-covered roads and poor visibility.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a press conference Saturday morning that residents should stay indoors and off the roads so they can leave space for snowplows.
Some bridges were closed to traffic except for emergency vehicles, including Jamestown, Clairborne Pell and Sakonnet River bridges.
McKee said 75 power outages had been reported, and state police have responded to 15 weather-related incidents.
He also said he sent a letter to the White House requesting an emergency declaration. The Biden administration has not yet announced whether it would be issuing such a declaration.
In Massachusetts alone, PowerOutage.US reported more than 113,000 power outages mid-afternoon Saturday as blizzard conditions produced gusty winds and low visibility across the state that could lead to more outages.
The majority of outages were impacting areas along Cape Cod and the southern coastline, according to Massachusetts Power Outages map.
In Boston, a winter warning was in effect through 5 a.m. Sunday, with 24-30 inches of snowfall accumulating and 2-4 inches per hour possible, along with wind gusts up to 65 mph. The peak of the storm in the area was expected now through 10 p.m. Saturday.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urged all residents across the state "to avoid non-essential travel" and, "to allow crews to safely treat and clear roadways," in a statement Friday.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation issued a travel ban for large trucks on interstate highways Saturday through midnight.
Quincy, Mass., Mayor Tom Koch told CNN the powerful storm was "really almost a minor hurricane with snow."
"The big issue that I see is getting our streets back opened up again," he said. "There's no question we're going to lose control for a period of time. There's no way plows can operate when they can't see in front of their face. So when you are talking 2-3 feet of snow, that's a lot of snow, and with 70 mph winds, we're looking at 6- to 8-foot drifts."
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, upheaval in the labor force, including the transportation sector, has created a shortage of snowplow operators and city and school bus drivers, The New York Times reported.
"I don't know where everybody's gone, with COVID and everything," Chris Ferreira, the owner of a towing company in Chelmsford, Mass., told the Times. "As far as hiring help, I can't get any, and the price of fuel has jumped up. It has gone up so tremendously it affects all overhead."
In Philadelphia, a winter storm warning was in effect until 4 p.m., with around half a foot of snow on the ground, an additional 2-3 inches possible, and wind gusts up to 35 mph until condition improve this afternoon.
According to Flight Aware, 896 flights were canceled Saturday at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, another 617 flights were canceled at Boston airport and over 4,700 flights were canceled nationwide.
Jet Blue accounted for 68% of the airline cancellations, with United accounting for at 22%, Frontier (20%), Delta (19%), American Airlines (18%) and Spirit (14%).
