NORTHEAST U.S. - Get the shovels ready. History is in the making.
A brutal winter storm is projected to affect up to 30 million people across the Northeast, and forecasters are already calling it a “blizzard of historic proportions.” Strong blizzard or blizzard-like conditions are expected to make travel dangerous, if not nearly impossible, for residents throughout the region, subsequently leading New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to declare a state of emergency for Winter Storm Juno.
“I’ve authorized state officials to take all necessary action in advance of the storm, and my Administration will continue monitoring conditions throughout the remainder of the storm,” said Gov. Christie. “This is a serious and significant weather event which will create extremely hazardous conditions. Travel will be dangerous and it is not advised.”
All Marine Terminals in New York and New Jersey are preparing for possible closures today by 3:00 PM, but that time may change based on weather conditions, according to a press release from Advance Customs Brokers & Consulting LLC. All terminals will be closed on Tuesday, January 27th. The Philadelphia and Wilmington Ports have not made any decisions yet.
Managers from the Allen Lund Company weighed in.
"Most local carriers have already contacted us to say that they are shutting down operations for the next two days," said 
Lenny Sciarappa, Manager, ALC Boston. "The saving grace for our office is that the strongest part of this storm is occurring on a Tuesday. It is a traditionally slow order day for produce shipments and our northeast shippers will have the remainder of the week to get their product out the door."
“The storm will impact capacity over the next few days for sure,” said Paul Brunelli, Manager, ALC Rochester. “Regional capacity will be affected the most.”
Chad Youngman, Manager, ALC Winchester, noted, “Truck availability is tight and near impossible sending trucks to the northeast. Most local carriers have decided not to work for the next couple days.”
Meteorologists aren’t kidding when they say this will be a historic storm. The brunt of the storm will hit Monday night and Tuesday morning with heavy snow and intense hurricane-force winds in some areas. The National Weather Service reports that New York could get up to 2 feet of snow, while Boston and Providence, RI, could potentially see 2.5 feet. CNN forecasters also anticipate freezing rain and winds between 55 – 65 mph along the Northeastern coast.
“Very highly populated areas of the Northeast are going to get crushed with snow,” said Tom Moore, a coordinating meteorologist for The Weather Channel. “Everywhere…you’re going to get hit very hard by this storm.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio used similarly strong language, warning residents, “My message for New Yorkers is prepare for something worse than we have ever seen before.”
The Weather Channel projected the following snow totals over the next 48 hours:
- Portland, ME: 18-24’’
- Boston, MA: 18-24’’
- Providence, RI: 18-24’’
- Hartford, CT: 12-18’’
- New York, NY: 12-18’
- Philadelphia, PA: 5-8’’
- Atlantic City, NJ: 5-8’’
- Baltimore, MD: 1-3’’
- Washington, D.C.: 1-3’’
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue tracking Winter Storm Juno.
