States of Emergency triggered as major winter storm moves in over the Northeast, crippling travel plans

A strong winter storm is barreling into the Northeast and forecast to blanket major cities and several states across the region in snow Friday night. State of emergency announcements are in place for New Jersey and some areas of New York, raising travel concerns for holiday travelers as over 50 million Americans brace for significant weather amid weekend festivities and post-Christmas travel.

From New York City to Philadelphia, winter weather alerts are scattered across the region, as the powerful storm will generate dangerous conditions ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year after Christmas and before the new year. 

The FOX Forecast Center is forecasting a widespread 5 to 8 inches of snow from north-central New Jersey through New York City into southern Connecticut. Locally higher amounts are possible just north of New York City into the lower Hudson Valley, where the best chance of all snow exists.

Starting Friday afternoon, rain, snow and ice will burst across the Northeast and last into early Saturday, with some areas seeing snowfall rates that reach up to an inch or more per hour overnight Friday during the height of the storm.

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Officials in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have issued releases urging travelers and residents to exercise caution in what could be the largest winter snow storm across the tri-state in over three years.

Winter weather alerts cover the tri-state area across most of Pennsylvania, where an Ice Storm Warning has been issued across the western portion of the state. New York City, much of the Hudson Valley Region, northern New Jersey and upstate New York up through Albany are under Winter Storm Warnings.

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Travel headaches are underway as major airports in the region under winter weather advisories began canceling and delaying flights Friday afternoon. 

According to FlightAware, across the region and in New York City, Newark and Philadelphia, over 1,500 flights have been delayed ahead of the signigicant shot of snow and active weather headed for the region's major travel hubs. 

Ahead of the severe storm set to deliver dangerous winter weather conditions throughout much of the state, New Jersey Acting Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey.

"Starting this afternoon, we will experience a severe winter storm bringing dangerous outdoor conditions to our state," said Acting Governor Way. "This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel. We are urging travelers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to the roads. Drivers should plan their travel accordingly, monitor conditions and road closures, and follow all safety protocols."

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) crews are at the ready for the winter weather arriving Friday evening. According to Lt. Gov. Way, the NJDOT issued a commercial vehicle restriction for tractor-trailers, empty CDL trucks, RVs, motorcycles and passenger vehicles pulling trailers at 3:00 p.m. effective for I-78, I-80, I-280, I-287, and Route 440.

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The Acting Governor encourages New Jerseyans to visit ready.nj.gov for important weather updates and safety information.

For the first time in over three years, New York City is under a Winter Storm Warning. The Big Apple and much of the Empire State are bracing for a significant round of snow Friday into Saturday.

"As New Yorkers continue to celebrate the holidays and prepare to celebrate the new year, they should also prepare for hazardous travel conditions Friday into Saturday," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press release. "New York City agencies have been coordinating and are prepared for the winter weather system, and we continue to monitor conditions closely.

New York City Emergency Management NYCEM has issued a travel advisory for Friday evening into Saturday.

NYCEM Commissioner Zachary Iscol joined FOX Weather ahead of the long-awaited snowstorm forecast to dump 8 inches of snow on the Big Apple. 

Much of New York state, including New York City, is under a Winter Storm Warning, while much of western New York, through Buffalo and north up to Watertown, is under a Winter Weather Advisory. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for areas and counties pointed to be impacted by the storm system.

Much of Pennsylvania is under Winter Weather Alerts, facing the multi-threat storm that has triggered an ice storm warning in western Pennsylvania. 

According to the National Weather Service at Mount Holly, storm total snowfall shows 1 to 2 inches in Philadelphia, which will be mostly if not entirely sleet (ice pellets), not actual snow, as actual snow will be very limited southwest of Allentown and Trenton.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Deputy Communications Director Brad Rudolph joined FOX Weather ahead of the "challenging storm" that will bring chaotic travel conditions across the state. 

Hundreds of PennDOT crews are at the ready to deal with the multi-threat storm delivering active winter weather, Rudolph said. 

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont today announced that he is encouraging motorists to avoid traveling on Connecticut roads during the evening of Friday, December 26, 2025, due to the snowstorm that is anticipated to impact the state during the overnight hours.

New Haven, Fairfield, Hartford and the majority of Connecticut are under a Winter Storm Warning.

"Shortly after sunset tonight, the snow is going to pick up quickly and come down at rates that can be dangerous while driving," Gov. Lamont said. "If you need to travel, we strongly recommend leaving early and getting to where you need to be before sunset tonight. Our fleet of state snowplows are ready to clear the roads, and they can get their jobs done more easily the fewer vehicles there are out driving."

The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) fleet of 650 snowplows and specialized snow removal equipment is ready to deploy across the state on standby that will remain active until the roads are clear of snow and ice, Gov. Lamont said.

After the powerful winter storm delivers snow and ice Friday into early Saturday morning, another fast-moving system will bring a mixture of rain and snow later Sunday into Monday. Behind this system, a blast of Arctic air will leave most of the East Coast below average into the start of the New Year.