Massive snowstorm hits the East Coast

Five state-run mass vaccination sites in New York state will be closed Tuesday due to the winter storm, with all appointments to be rescheduled, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

Mass vaccination sites at SUNY Stony Brook, Jones Beach, Aqueduct Racetrack, the Javits Center and the Westchester County Center will all be closed Tuesday.

"This winter storm is already producing large amounts of snow and creating dangerous travel conditions, and it is expected to continue into tomorrow," Cuomo said in a press release. "For the safety of both workers and individuals scheduled to receive a vaccination, we will be postponing appointments for tomorrow at several vaccination sites that are being impacted by this storm. To be clear — no one is losing an appointment —they will all be rescheduled when conditions are safer."

At least seven state-run mass vaccination sites will delay opening until 10 a.m. ET but scheduled appointments prior to that hour will be rescheduled for later in the day, Cuomo added.

Officials directed customers to contact their airlines for further information about rebooking.

Amtrak announced Monday afternoon that as of 3 p.m. ET, it has suspended service between New York City and Boston and New York City and Albany, New York due to other service shutdowns stemming from winter storm conditions.

According to a release from Amtrak, the passenger railroad service will also continue operating modified service on select routes in the Northeast on Tuesday due to inclement weather. 

“Amtrak regrets any inconvenience,” the release from Amtrak said.

Today's nor'easter could be a historic snowstorm. As of 1 p.m. ET, Central Park had reported 13.3 inches of snow (8 inches in the last 6 hours) and it was still snowing, the National Weather Service said. CNN meteorologists say it's possible around two feet of snow will blanket the city before the storm passes.

Satellite images show the massive storm crawling up the East Coast of the US. Take a look:

A massive winter storm is dumping snow across much of the Northeast today. Here's a look at how the nor'easter is affecting some East Coast cities:

• Philadelphia: A combination of rain and snow hit Philadelphia, where 2 to 3 inches of snow had fallen by early Monday. A rain-snow mix in the morning will likely switch back to snow Monday night through Tuesday. The final total expected there is around a foot.
• New York City: The snowfall, which began late Sunday night, picked up intensity Monday, and snowfall rates could get as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour for the city, Long Island and southern Connecticut. That could create zero-visibility conditions and make travel very dangerous. The city transit authority suspended outdoor subway service starting at 2 p.m. ET Monday. Buses are still operating, but the city and state monitoring the situation closely, said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of the New York City Transit Authority.
• Boston: A winter storm warning is in effect and the city issued a snow emergency. Eight to 12 inches of snow is forecast, with even more inland. Snow will be heavy Monday afternoon with 4 to 6 inches by Monday evening. A wintery mix beginning Monday night will continue all day Tuesday, changing back to snow Tuesday night. The National Weather Service said road conditions would deteriorate quickly around midday Monday.

The strong onshore winds from the powerful nor’easter currently pounding the East Coast may bring the highest water levels into New York City since Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which could overtop the seawall. Storm surge from the system has been pushing water levels 2 to 3 feet above normal this morning, and that should increase as the winds pick up more in the afternoon and evening.

“The city should see the highest water levels tonight in the run-up to high tide,” which occurs around midnight local time, according to Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton, NY.

The forecast calls for water levels to reach 8.4 feet tonight, very near the 8.5 foot level where water washes over the Battery Park seawall and begins to flood the Boardwalk, according to NOAA data. 

“I’d give it a one in three chance to overtop the seawall,” Goodman told CNN on Monday afternoon, “it is certainly something we will be watching for tonight.”

The current water level forecast of 8.4 feet would put the high tide just outside the top-10 of all time, but the highest since Superstorm Sandy, which set the all-time high water mark at the Battery, 14.2 feet.

More than a foot of snow has fallen in Central Park, according to the National Weather Service in New York City. 

In just the past six hours, the park received eight of the 13.3 inches that have fallen since the storm began.

More snow is expected throughout the day and into tomorrow. 

At the top of today’s White House Briefing, Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall “convened a coordination call with the acting FEMA Administrator and the director of the National Weather Service on the storm system moving toward the Mid-Atlantic region.”

Sherwood-Randall “also proactively called governors of states in the storm's path overnight and into today and she will remain in close touch,” Psaki told reporters in the briefing room.

“Those include Governor Cuomo, Governor Murphy, Governor Wolf, Governor Carney, as well as New York City Mayor De Blasio. She expressed the president’s intent to ensure close coordination going forward among federal, state, and local officials in preparing for and responding to weather emergencies.”

The inclement weather has already disrupted an address Biden was slated to give on foreign policy, which is now scheduled for later this week.