Winter Storm Niko Sweeps The Northeast Delivering Intense Blizzards

In a sweeping show of force, Winter Storm Niko inundated much of the Northeast Thursday morning with blizzards, rain, ice and powerful winds. Thousands of flights have been delayed, roads blocked, school days canceled and plans diverted in areas including New York City, Boston, Long Island, Cape Cod and much of New England.

Up to a foot and a half snow is expected in some areas. Cities further south, including Baltimore and Philadelphia, experienced a mix of snow and rain.

The massive snowstorm comes after an unseasonably warm February day, which led many skeptics to doubt the forecasts. In some areas, temperatures Wednesday were in the mid-60s.

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The New York City and Long Island area got hit early with the snow, throwing a wrench in the plans of anyone looking to commute, or go outside, Thursday morning. Officials had snow plows ready to begin work, but drivers were forced to dig their cars out just to get moving.

In the city, subway lines were delayed, faced service changes, or were entirely shut down.

Newark airport grounded all flights due to visibility issues, and New Jersey trains face serious delays. State police reported at least 300 road accidents Thursday.

"If you don't need to be on the roads, stay home! If you have to go to work, #SlowYourRoll," the New Jersey State Police said in a statement.

Eastern and central Massachusetts got a later start on the snowfall, but forecasters predicted as much as 18 inches to accumulate and wind gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph. Over 600 flights at Boston's Logan Airport were delayed.

While New York City, Long Island, and Hartford, Connecticut, suffered in the earlier commutes, officials said the evening commute could be worse for people in eastern Massachusetts and Maine.

As the stormfront moves across the region, Philadelphia first began seeing relief from the heavy snowfall in the late morning. In New York City and Hartford, meteorologist predicted the blizzards would begin to die down in early to late afternoon. Officials in Boston and Portland, Maine, predicted their regions would be hit hard into the evening.

"I want to make one point pretty clear which is that the bulk of the snow ... is going to fall from this point forward," Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said in an afternoon press conference.

Many lost power during the storms:

Lead photo credit: John Santore, Patch Staff