By Rhoda KwanNBC
News
A powerful snow storm generated blizzard conditions with high winds that led to widespread power outages early Saturday morning.
From New York to Maine, people woke up to half a foot of snow, and parts of Massachusetts, including the city of
Boston, were forecast to experience snowfalls of up to 24 inches,
the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.
"Blackouts are possible and due to circumstances, travel will be nearly impossible in some locations," the bulletin said.
The service added that snow rates of up to 2 to 4 inches per hour are expected on the Mid-Atlantic and New England coast.
The bomb cyclone is formed thanks to a dramatic contrast between the sea and the land.
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In Nassau County, New York, executive Bruce Blakeman told NBC News that a snowplow operator found an elderly woman dead in her car overnight.
Although the official cause of her death has not been confirmed, he said that she probably suffered a heart attack or other sudden health problem.
"It's a sad situation, but it shows how dangerous it is,
people shouldn't go out unless absolutely necessary,
" Blakeman added.
More than 80,000 homes in Massachusetts appeared to be without power early Saturday morning, according to the website PowerOutage.us.
Scattered power outages are also expected along the coast.
Massachusetts has declared a state of emergency, along with Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, and residents have been warned to stay off the roads.
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"This is serious... The best way to handle this storm is to stay home," Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said at a news conference Friday.
In Virginia, where a blizzard stranded hundreds of motorists for hours on Interstate 95 this month, authorities were quick to marshal resources, while in Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan mobilized the National Guard.
Airlines canceled more than 4,500 flights at some of the nation's busiest airports, according to FlightAware, while Amtrak suspended or limited its service from Boston to Washington.
In West Hartford, Connecticut, a truck overturned on snow-covered Interstate 84, closing several westbound lanes.
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This blizzard is forecast to be one of the worst snow storms experienced in the region in the last four years.
The snow is expected to move away from the coast of Maine on Sunday, but the National Weather Service warned that "very cold weather" will follow the storms.
As of Saturday morning, more than 68 million people had received winter weather alerts, of varying degrees.
About 10 million received blizzard warnings.
Shoppers were seen Friday stocking up on food supplies and power generators, according to The Associated Press.