Significant winter storm moving into Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Oceans

A significant winter storm was settling into parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday before dangerously low temperatures envelop most of the country in some of the coldest weather in years, National Weather Service forecasters said.

Snow started in the Appalachians Sunday morning and fell in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, including New York City, by the afternoon. The heaviest snowfall is expected north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor, with up to eight inches possible, according to Weather service.

Areas from northern Maryland to Boston could get three to six inches of snow, with some spots potentially more. Northern Virginia to southern New Jersey could get a mix of rain and snow.

Much of the Northeast is under winter storm warnings or winter weather advisories. A winter storm warning is issued when severe winter weather is expected or already occurring and can make travel extremely dangerous or even impossible. A consultation is for less serious conditions.

The New York City metropolitan area, Long Island, southern Westchester and coastal Connecticut are under a winter weather advisory until 4 a.m. Monday. Snowfall of three to five centimeters is expected, which could lead to slick traffic and snow-covered roads on Sunday afternoon and night.

Ground stops were possible and delays were expected later in the day at airports in the Northeast, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The affected airports included the four major airports in the New York metropolitan area, Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, DC, as well as the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall and Philadelphia International Airports. Delays were also expected at Boston’s Logan International Airport, according to the airport’s website.

Airlines, including Participate, American and JetBluesaid it would waive fees for some ticket changes made by affected travelers.

Forecasters at the New York office of the Weather Service warned that snowfall could be up to an inch an hour at times. Inland areas of New York, such as the Lower Hudson Valley, could get up to eight inches of snow.

Immediately after the storm clears early Monday, arctic air will dive over most of the south-central and southeastern United States, bringing several days of chilly conditions.

This is the coldest air of the winter season so far, and in many cases the coldest in several years, National Weather Service forecasters warned.

The high temperatures will be from below zero to single digits in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest; single digits and teens across the Rockies, the central Plains and the Midwest; teens and 20s across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; and between the 20s and 30s in Texas and the Southeast.

The weather service said chills would be at dangerously low levels and hypothermia or frostbite could occur from prolonged exposure or lack of proper clothing.

Wind chills of 30 to 55 degrees below zero are expected at times Monday in the Rockies, the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, and minus as far south as Oklahoma and Tennessee and the Ohio Valleys.

In Chicago on Sunday, temperatures were in the single digits at 11am

Ann Marie Saviano, 51, who lives in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the city’s South Side, said she planned to meet friends for brunch, go shopping and attend a birthday party.

“It’s that time of year we call the hibernation season – when people retreat into their caves to stay warm and cozy for one to four days, and emerge ready to face the world when it’s a balmy 23 degrees ,” Saviano said.

“But this is Chicago,” she added, and people still need to get things done.

Cheryl Atwood, 50, of Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, was grocery shopping on Sunday and said she had a full day planned for Monday. “Everyone I know, it’s business as usual,” she said.

Forecasters warned of a significant winter storm across the Gulf Coast states this coming Monday, as a combination of cold air and a storm system over the Gulf is expected to bring snow, freezing rain and ice to the region, which could lead to major travel disruptions.

As the storm moves east from Texas, it is expected to sweep across Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Carolinas.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches for parts of Louisiana. The most snowfall will likely be between the US 190 and Interstate 10 corridors in Louisiana and southeast Texas, where four to six inches could accumulate. Further north and south of here, three to four inches are expected.

On Tuesday evening, the storm is expected to reach the Atlantic coast and bring icy or wintry weather further north.

Amanda Holpuch, Camille Baker and Robert Chiarito contributed with reporting.