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A powerful storm system that prompted blizzard warnings in New York City and Boston is set to cause major travel headaches at the end of the holiday weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the New York metropolitan area effective 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday. The area includes Newark, New Jersey; New York; and the Long Island and Connecticut coasts.
Forecasters predict between 11 to 16 inches of snow in much of that region, bringing visibility to near zero at times. Sustained winds as strong as 30 mph could hit Sunday night, with gusts up to 55 mph in parts of central and eastern Long Island.
And starting at noon Sunday and extending through 6 p.m. Monday, another blizzard warning will be in effect for all of Rhode Island and most of eastern Massachusetts. Parts of that region could see as much as 20 inches of snow, with strong winds contributing to "extremely dangerous" travel conditions, the National Weather Service said.
"Widespread power outages are expected during the height of the storm Sunday night from both the strong winds knocking down power lines and the weight of the heavy snow," the weather agency said. "Shoveling should not be done by anyone with heart conditions."
The weather service also issued a blizzard watch from Sunday evening through Monday afternoon for coastal New Hampshire and Maine, up to the Canadian border.
All this could put a wrench in thousands of travel plans.
Continental Airlines, which is partnered with United Airlines, has canceled about 250 domestic mainline and regional departures for Sunday, spokesman Andrew J. Ferraro said.
American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Sanderson said that the airline expected minimal delays through Sunday morning, but that it plans to cancel flights in and out of several key East Coast airports starting in the afternoon.
Delta Air Lines had canceled approximately 500 Christmas Day flights -- including roughly 300 in and out of Atlanta -- in an attempt to get ahead of the storm, Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said.
The carrier expects to have a better handle of how many cancellations will be needed on Sunday morning, "once we've worked through the schedule," spokesman Kent Landers said.
Delta, Continental, United, American and AirTran Airways are among the carriers waiving penalties for travelers who have to reschedule their trips over the weekend.
While specific information varies by carrier, most are offering penalty waivers for passengers traveling on December 26 and 27 at airports from North Carolina to Boston and beyond. Affected customers are being urged to contact the relevant airline either by phone or online.
Forecasters warned of icy driving conditions across much of the East. Much of the precipitation will fall along the Interstate 95 corridor and near the Atlantic coast.
On Saturday night, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced the city was preparing for a significant snow storm with an expected accumulation of eight to 12 inches and winds of 20 to 40 mph, according to a statement from his office.
"We are anticipating the declaration of a snow emergency by early afternoon" Sunday, the statement said. The mayor urged residents to make any necessary travel early in the day.
CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider said the system is a Nor'easter, which gets its name from the continuously strong northeasterly winds blowing in from the ocean ahead of the storm and over the coastal areas.
