An unprecedented stretch of winter weather in the Northeast U.S. is about to get even longer. Winter Storm Neptune's first wave hit late Friday night, triggering blizzard warnings in six states and sending Valentine's Day weekend travelers from the Midwest to New England reeling.
With strong wind gusts and bitter low temperatures set to compound the precipitation brought on by Neptune, travelers are urged to use caution and plan ahead.
According to Weather.com, the low-pressure system brought high winds and snow to a huge swath from the Midwest through to New England starting late last night, with Michigan receiving nearly 8 inches of snow overnight Friday. Blizzard warnings have been issued in Massachusets, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York for parts of Long Island.
As the storm moves east on Saturday, the Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic region will likely see some snow, in addition to New York and New England. Saturday afternoon into night is when the worst is expected to hit the coast of New England, which has already been ravaged by a handful of winter storms this year.
The I-95 corridor is likely to once again find itself in the storm's path, meaning travelers should expect potential delays and cancellations at many of the region's major airports over the weekend. While many of these airports are equipped to operate in wintry precipitation, strong winds and ice could create problems.
According to FlightAware.com, Boston Logan International Airport has already canceled 149 flights for Sunday, with Newark Liberty International Airport reporting 46 total flight cancellations for Sunday as of Saturday morning.
Air travelers are encouraged to remain updated on their flight status over the course of the weekend.
The snow and wind will continue to cause headaches in New England on Sunday. However, the precipitation from Neptune should begin to subside by the start of the work week.
As far as projected snowfall totals are concerned, coastal New England could experience as much as a foot or more. The Boston area is likely to receive another six inches at least, but that could change depending on the storm's exact track.
Meanwhile, coastal Maine could receive as much as 20 inches or more based on the current forecast.
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