The US expects a "cyclonic bomb" and this will affect several states 1:00
(CNN) --
The nor'easter churning along the East Coast this Saturday threatens a dangerous mix of severe snowstorms and high-speed winds for millions of Americans, and could become a historic storm for parts of eastern New England, according to meteorologists.
The combination of howling winds, as strong as 70 mph in some areas, along with rapidly accumulating snow is a recipe for blizzard conditions, particularly in the New England states.
Nearly 55 million people, stretching from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, were under winter weather advisories this Saturday morning.
Blackout conditions are expected throughout the region, with several governors declaring states of emergency and urging residents to stay off roadways.
There are also warnings of coastal flooding and the possibility of power outages due to downed utility lines.
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And while the path of the storm has been uncertain in the lead up to this winter storm, the key points were clearer this Saturday.
Between 5 and 15 cm of snow had fallen by Saturday morning in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with more on the way.
More than a foot of snow is expected to cover parts of the Mid-Atlantic coast as far east as New England, the NWS Weather Prediction Center said Friday afternoon.
The Boston metropolitan area faces the potential of more than 0.6 m of snow that is expected to accumulate rapidly.
Snow is expected to fall at a rate of 5 to 10 cm per hour in some places.
Blizzard warnings issued Friday covered 10 million people in 10 states in coastal counties from New England to Virginia.
Notable locations included Portland, Maine;
Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts;
the eastern half of Long Island in New York;
Atlantic City, New Jersey;
and Ocean City, Maryland.
'Historic major winter storm for eastern New England'
US winter storm warning 0:37
Travel will be difficult or impossible due to melting conditions created by heavy snowfall and high winds, the NWS predicted.
In a blizzard, the snow is joined by winds gusting over 35 mph for more than three hours, creating visibility of less than a quarter of a mile.
"Strong to damaging winds will cause scattered power outages," the NWS warned.
There is "high confidence" this will be a "major historic winter storm for eastern New England," with widespread snowfall of one to two feet, the National Weather Service said Friday night.
In addition, extremely cold temperatures and coastal flooding are possible, the Weather Prediction Center warned.
"Coastal flooding is a concern thanks to astronomically high tides on Saturday," the weather service office in Boston said.
"The combination of strong northeasterly winds and high seas will bring storm surge which, if it coincides with high tide, will cause minor to moderate coastal flooding."
The difference in the timing of the storm, even as little as six hours, would make a big difference in the impact on coastal flooding and erosion concerns.
More than 3,000 flights had already been canceled as of Friday night, according to FlightAware.
These northeastern states expected to see the worst
A food delivery bike rides through the snow on January 28, 2022 in New York City.
Eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, will bear the brunt of the system as forecast models predict 18-24 inches of snow combined with wind gusts up to 70 mph.
5 to 10 cm per hour could fall in Boston, with conditions likely to peak between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. this Saturday.
Similar wind and snow total predictions were made for Rhode Island.
Boston declared a "snow emergency" that began this Friday at 9 p.m.
"This has the potential to be a huge, historic storm," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
"This is likely to be an intense and dangerous storm, with heavy snow, strong winds and fade conditions."
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation implemented a travel ban for large trucks on interstate highways for this Saturday due to severe winter weather forecast.
The travel ban went into effect "Saturday between 6:00 a.m. and midnight for tractor-trailers, tandems, and carriers with special permits," MassDOT said.
Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm and took precautions a step further by signing a travel ban beginning Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Some of the heaviest snowfall is projected to fall in parts of New Hampshire, Maine and Long Island, New York, where 12 to 24 inches of snow is forecast.
Blizzard-like conditions prompted Amtrak to cancel train service this Saturday for several lines, including Acela service between Washington, DC, and Boston, as well as regional service between Boston and New York, the company said Friday. .
Tri-state area, Pennsylvania and Delaware
Meanwhile, the governors of New York and New Jersey also declared states of emergency.
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New York City could receive 6 to 12 inches of snow with gusts of 45 mph, while 14 inches could accumulate in other parts of New York State, as well as in Connecticut, where wind gusts can be up to 55 mph, forecasters from CNN and the weather service predicted.
But the weather service said early Friday that there is a 10% chance the storm will dump more than 17 inches of snow on New York City and also predicts a 10% chance of 4 inches.
The impact on New York City will peak between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. this Saturday.
As a precaution, all Long Island Rail Road service will be suspended beginning Saturday morning, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.
Across the Hudson River, northeastern New Jersey could see 6 to 10 inches of snow, with wind gusts up to 45 mph.
The southern part of New Jersey can see up to 18 inches of snow, and projections are similar in southern Delaware, according to the NWS.
The Philadelphia area of eastern Pennsylvania is also expected to see 4 to 10 inches of snow.
Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina
The governors of Maryland and Virginia have issued states of emergency in their states, where a blizzard warning is in effect for some areas through Saturday night.
Between 20 and 30 yards of snow could accumulate in parts of southeastern Maryland and eastern and southeastern Virginia, where wind gusts are expected to reach 50 mph.
Snow projections in central North Carolina are lower, with 1 to 2 inches expected as the winter weather advisory remains in places until 9 a.m. Saturday, the NWS said.
"Hazardous travel conditions will result from slippery or snow-covered roads. Snow can also reduce visibility to less than a mile overnight," the NWS said in the advisory.
CNN's Haley Brink and Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.