Forecasters believe up to 3 feet of snow could result from a major winter storm headed to New York and New England. It the blizzard's path: New York and Boston.
"This could be a storm the likes of which we've never seen before," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told CNN.
Both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are scheduled to play NBA games on Monday. Given their season, a snow-out might not be the worst thing to happen to the Knicks. When the storm arrives, sports will be a far distant concern to residents in the populous region.
"There's the potential for a significant snowstorm to impact the entire Northeast U.S.," meteorologist Patrick Maloit told the Associated Press. The region, forecasters say, could face a dreaded Nor'easter storm.
College athletics will likewise be impacted should the storm reach its full potential. Best advice: Stay home or make sure of conditions before heading out.
The question for now is, what will a massive snowstorm do to travel? There was no immediate word from either New York NBA team on its plans. Much will depend on the ability of opponents to get in and out of New York. While the Sacramento Kings, who are scheduled to face the Knicks; and the Portland Trail Blazers, who face the Nets, might be able to get into the Big Apple before the storm arrives, getting out could be the biggest problem.
None of the four teams is schedule to play Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics will be on the road this week.
There were no National Hockey League games scheduled Monday, and players returning from the NHL All-Star Game will likely complete their travel before the storm hits. What happens could impact Tuesday games as the NHL resumes its regular season.
Travel in New England could be hazardous at best and downright dangerous, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency advised.
The National Weather Service forecast snow would begin about 3 a.m. Monday in New York City and 5 p.m. in Boston. The storm is expected to include strong wind gusts, some of more than 60 mph. By Monday night, both cities will see large amounts of snow. Boston is bracing for 11-17 inches on Monday and another foot or more on Tuesday. New York's snow accumulation might be slightly less, but not much. Blowing and drifting snow will add to the problem, forecasters warned.
For the record, the weather service labeled the system Winter Storm Juno. Warnings stretch from Maine to New Jersey and were expected to go into effect by 1 p.m. ET.
"Very highly populated areas of the Northeast are going to get crushed with snow," Tom Moore, coordinating meteorologist for The Weather Channel, told NBC News. "Everywhere ... you're going to get hit very hard by this storm."
By the time Wednesday arrives, New England and New York will be digging out under sunny skies.
Forecasters were following the storm as it moved out of the Midwest toward the Atlantic coast. Parts of the Northeast already were dealing with more than a half-foot of snow from the weekend.
Snow also was expected to affect travel into the Appalachians and Washington, D.C. Baltimore and Philadelphia also could expect snow problems.