New York City Braces for 'Crippling' Storm, Travel Bans Hit Tri-State

Governors in five states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island — have declared states of emergency in advance of Winter Storm Juno, a storm that threatens to bury communities in tri-state area with more than 2 feet of snow and bring heavy sustained winds that may cause power outages and make travel hazardous.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered all non-essential drivers off the city's roads after 11 p.m. Monday and announced that the city's schools would officially close Tuesday because of forecast impacts.

(MORE: Juno: The Latest Forecast)

"This will most likely be one of the largest blizzards in the history of New York City," de Blasio said, NBC News reported, as The National Weather Service's blizzard warning took effect at 1 p.m. EST. 

"As of Monday afternoon Central Park reported 4.3 inches of snow from Juno, and additional snow should bring that total to 15 inches or so," said weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. "That would rank 18th place among New York City snowstorms, and sixth among those in the 21st century."

New York City has had 27 snowstorms producing a foot or more of snow since 1869 – an average of one every five years or so. "However, nine of those storms have come since the beginning of 2000 – a pace of about three 12-inch-plus snowstorms every two years," said Wiltgen.

For all local and state roads, a travel ban will go into effect at 11 p.m in 13 counties. The counties include the five boroughs of New York City — each of which comprises a county — as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, and Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties. 

Only authorized emergency vehicles will be allowed on the roads and any violation of the ban is punishable as misdemeanor that includes fines of up to $300, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a statement.

(MORE: Check Current Road Conditions and Traffic)

New York City subway and bus service was to be suspended at 11 p.m. Monday, the first time subways were shut down because of snow. Long Island Rail Road, Metro North, Staten Island Railroad and PATH service are suspended beginning at 11 p.m. until further notice. 

Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency, authoring the closure of the state government for all non-essential employees Tuesday and activating the state emergency response plans.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also issued a travel ban for the state after 9 p.m. Monday.

"Do not plan on traveling unless absolutely necessary from Monday evening through the duration of the storm," Gov. Malloy said at a press conference. Road crews will be working to clear the roads and highways and Malloy says roads will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.

Connecticut state police have extra manpower out on the roads and on the highways, Lt. J. Paul Vance, a spokesman for the state police, told the Hartford Courant. The Connecticut National Guard also said soldiers and airmen throughout the state are reporting for duty and readying equipment to assist state residents in response to Winter Storm Juno.

Juno dusted the region in snow beginning early Monday morning with the snowfall pace forecast to pick up after sundown.

The National Weather Service declared a blizzard warning from 1 p.m. Monday to midnight Tuesday local time with a coastal flood watch also in effect. At the time, the agency called Juno's total impact in the region "crippling and potentially historic."

Snow is forecast to fall at a rate of 2 to 4 inches per hour with wind gusts up to 55 mph in some areas, particularly along coastal Long Island. Less-severe impacts are expected toward inland New Jersey.

(MORE: Expert Analysis | Winter Storm Central)

Local officials, including governors Christie, Malloy and Cuomo, have been urging individuals to stay home and avoid travel. 

Thousands of flights across the region have been canceled in advance of the storm, according to FlightAware.com. United Airlines canceled all flights Tuesday from Newark, Laguardia and New York's JFK airports. Most major air carriers are allowing for free flight changes and waivers for Northeast travelers, in many cases, through Friday. 

Shortly after 1 p.m. EST Monday, Amtrak announced that it will run on a modified schedule for the remainder of the day. The status of Tuesday's service is unknown, so travelers should check with the railway before making plans. Amtrak also announced pre-storm preparations including the mobilization of additional staff and repair crews to ensure rail lines remain clear and fully functional.

New York's de Blasio and others also urged advanced planning before the storm. "My message to all New Yorkers is to prepare for something worse than we have seen before.... Don't underestimate this storm," he said at Sunday a press conference. "Prepare for the worst, and we will all get through this together."

(MORE: Star-Shaped Snowflakes Spotted During Winter Storm Juno)

The storm is expected to make for slick roads, including along major highways like I-70, I-80 I-84 and I-95. 

The New York and New Jersey Port Authority and New York City's MTA have said in statements they're ready with full crews. The organizations have said they will start an ongoing operation to help keep roadways clear and mass transit systems operating. On the New Jersey Transit system, all bus, rail and light rail passes will be "cross honored" from system to system until Wednesday, the company announced on Twitter Monday morning.

De Blasio said the city deployed 2,400 workers ahead of Tuesday who are driving 1,800 snow plows and 500 salt spreaders carrying 225,000 tons of salt.

Workers face a dauting challenge: They would need to clear about 6,000 miles of city roadways—double the distance between New York and Los Angeles.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Winter Storm Juno Hits the Northeast