New York City is under its first blizzard warning in nearly 10 years, as heavy snow and strong winds will combine for whiteout conditions Sunday into Monday. The snow is set to begin Sunday morning, with initial melting likely as temperatures ahead of the storm Saturday have been in the 40s. Min imal accumulation is expected through midday, but as temperatures drop and snow intensity increases, conditions will deteriorate quickly. Blizzard warnings go into effect at 1 p.m. and are set to last until 6 p.m. Monday. New Jersey has declared a state of emergency set to go into effect at 12 p.m. Sunday. The most intense accumulation will happen overnight, with snowfall rates of 1-2” per hour or more, along with wind gusts up to 50 mph. When all is said and done, NYC is looking at 12-18 inches of snow. The same goes for neighboring counties in New Jersey, much of Long Island, the Jersey Shore and lower parts of Westchester County and Fairfield County. Inland areas were expected to see until late Saturday when forecasts projected much higher totals, more in the range of what NYC could get. Far reaches of eastern Long Island, like the Hamptons, Montauk and the North Fork, could see up to 2 feet of snow. The snow will wind down throughout the morning and end by Monday afternoon. This powerful storm will also produce widespread moderate coastal flooding during Sunday night’s high tide on the Jersey Shore and across southern Suffolk Nassau counties. This would likely cause many road closures and widespread flooding in low-lying and vulnerable areas. Power outages are also most likely near the coast, where winds can exceed 60 mph for an extended period of time. Major impacts are expected during the height of the storm, with dangerous to impossible travel near major I-95 cities like Philadelphia, New York and Boston. If the forecast holds, it could days for the airlines to recover at those major transportation hubs. ...read more read less