Snowstorm hit the U.S. East, snowfall over two feet, affecting 70 million people

A strong snowstorm continues to sweep across the northeastern United States on Tuesday (Feb. 2). Northern New York and New England will see the heaviest snowfall.

The winter storm is affecting nearly 70 million Americans, bringing heavy snow to major cities such as New York City, Philadelphia and Boston. A blizzard warning now extends from northern Georgia to Maine.

Severe weather conditions brought on by heavy snowfall and strong winds of 60 miles per hour have caused many accidents. The storm has also knocked out power in some areas. According to a map of power outages published by Public Service Electric and Gas (Public Service Enterprise Group, PSEG), 2,640 homes on Long Island were without power, with more than 2,000 homes in Suffolk County being without power, the most impacted.

The severe weather also forced the closure of COVID-19 vaccination sites in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Heavy snow landed on the White House in Washington, D.C., on the morning of Feb. 2.

A pile of snow in Times Square in New York City early Feb. 2; a huge snowstorm brought chaos to the U.S. East Coast, closing airports and schools.

A cab drives by a snowbank at Rockefeller Center in New York City on the morning of Feb. 2.

Snowfall scenes in Boston on Feb. 1.

Snow, ice and slush make for treacherous roads in Massachusetts on US One in Saugus, Massachusetts during a winter storm on Feb. 2.

So far, northern and central New Jersey has seen nearly 2 feet of snow, with another foot of snow likely to be added by Tuesday night.

Parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already seen more than 30 inches of snowfall.

A New Jersey man clears snow from his car.

Nineteen states, from Georgia to Maine, were on alert Monday. This newly formed storm is moving up the East Coast.

Allentown, Pennsylvania, broke a daily record with 10 inches of snow on Monday, while New York City has received more than 13 inches – the city’s biggest snowfall in five years.

A snow-clearing truck clears a street in New York.

In addition, the U.S. is entering an active storm pattern. Heavy rain and mountain snow will move in from the Pacific Northwest and central California, then will move across the Plains and over the Mississippi River Valley eventually into the East on Friday.

Looking ahead to next week, a deeper Arctic storm will invade the U.S. with more chances for cold temperatures and snowfall, sweeping areas including the Northeast.