The northeastern United States faces
a major winter storm on
Wednesday
, with forecasts of snow, freezing rains and strong winds, which can cause power cuts and low visibility on the roads, meteorologists estimate.
After noon the first snowfalls were registered, with the national esplanade in Washington DC being painted white, due to the storm that moves quickly from North Carolina to New England.
The storm is expected to affect more than 70 million people, with some areas accumulating up to two feet of snow, our sister network NBC News said.
[Does the coronavirus spread more easily in cold temperatures? This is what we know]
Freezing temperatures reached Virginia and North Carolina in the morning, where the state emergency agency urged drivers to be
careful on the roads
.
Schools that teach face-to-face from Northern Virginia to Philadelphia have already closed or announced plans to close early Wednesday.
The alert has also led state governments to adjust their public transportation systems, as in the case of New Jersey.
In addition, the population is warned that the storm could affect the taking of coronavirus tests.
The risk of a severe winter storm in the northeast puts more than 60 million people on alert
Dec. 16, 202001: 14
A
winter storm
with extensive rain and snow in the mountains
is also forecast for Northern California
since Wednesday afternoon, so travel in the region is not recommended and state road closures have been imposed.
"
This is going to be a serious storm, and people need to take it seriously
," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio warned at a news conference Tuesday.
The storm would be the largest the city has seen in years, De Blasio said, so New Yorkers have been asked to avoid traveling or taking the subway unless necessary.
The New York City Weather Service office expects snowfall from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said in a message Tuesday night that
COVID-19 testing will be suspended
Thursday at outdoor sites across the state, while only some spaces will remain open for testing in buildings
Heavy snowfalls until Thursday
In
Pennsylvania
, Gov. Tom Wolf signed an emergency disaster proclamation ahead of the storm with the center of the state forecast for up to 24 inches (60 centimeters) of snow.
Wolf asked residents to
stay home,
thus keeping roads and pathways clear, to avoid risks and while the state distributes the COVID-19 vaccine.
[Rescued a missing woman for six days in a car covered in snow: "I thought we were doomed"]
In
New Jersey,
trains operate on a special schedule due to severe weather this Wednesday.
Transportation company NJ Transit has also warned that passengers should expect delays, detours and possible cancellations if storm conditions intensify.
It is recommended to visit the agency's website for updates.
Alert in the northeast of the country before the imminent arrival of a powerful winter storm
Dec. 16, 202000: 39
In
New England
, snowfall is expected to extend into Thursday morning.
While most of the rainfall on the east coast would end at sunset on Thursday.
Forecasters estimate that the region stretching from Maine to Virginia will accumulate between three and six inches (seven and seventeen centimeters) of snow.
[UN warns Earth is approaching "environmental suicide"]
Northwest
Virginia
could also have sleet and ice, according to the National Weather Service, and
Maryland
triggered a state response for a storm with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow accumulating in Hagerstown.
With information from NBC News, Associated Press and The New York Times.