The governors of New York and New Jersey have issued states of emergency.
A massive winter storm is barreling across the Northeast, dumping more than 2 feet of snow and prompting the first blizzard warning for New York City in nearly a decade.
Blowing winds up to 80 mph and heavy snow are pummeling New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
More than 5,000 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, with airports in New York City, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia hit the hardest.
While those airports remain open, travelers are advised to check their flight status before heading out the door.
The winter storm continues to rapidly intensify off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, now producing heavy snow and gusty winds from Virginia Beach to Philadelphia to New York City to Newport, Rhode Island.
Heavy bands of snow are producing 1-3 inches per hour of snow fall have been observed and are expected to continue over the next few hours, particularly into the morning from New Jersey and New York City out to Long Island, as well as to Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island.
Some bands have been strong enough to produce lightning and thundersnow, too, over the past couple of hours. There have been some reports of thundersnow in Long Branch, New Jersey, and briefly in New York City. We could continue to see that with the heaviest bands through this morning along the coast from Virginia to the Jersey Shore and Long Island to coastal New England.
Visibilities have dropped to less than a half mile at New York City’s Central Park, with wind gusts between 20 and 33 mph being reported through the overnight hours. While New York City has not yet reached blizzard conditions -- which require gusts of 35 mph, visibilities down to 1/4 mile or less, all for at least three consecutive hours -- they are seeing near-whiteout conditions leading to reduced visibilities.
As of 12 a.m. ET, the center of the storm measured a pressure of 980 mb. At 12 p.m. ET Sunday, the center of the storm had measured a pressure of 1,005 mb. This means that within the span of 12 hours, the center of the storm dropped 25 mb in pressure and surpassed the criteria of "bombogenesis" -- a pressure drop of at least 24 mb within 24 hours.
The storm is expected to continue rapidly intensifying over the next few hours and the center of the storm will continue to deepen, allowing for stronger wind gusts and heavier snow bands with the nor'easter through this morning.
-ABC News' Kyle Reiman
As of 9 p.m. on Sunday night, more than 21,000 customers were without power in New Jersey, and more than 12,000 customers were without power in Virginia.
-ABC News' Kyle Reiman
The nor'easter continues to rapidly intensify off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, now producing heavy snow and gusty winds from Virginia Beach to Philadelphia to New York City and Newport, Rhode Island.
The brunt of the storm has begun and will continue overnight into Monday morning.
Heavy bands of snow are producing 1-2 inches per hour. Snowfall rates will be likely in the next few hours, particularly after midnight from New York City out to Long Island, as well as to Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island.
-ABC News' Kyle Reiman
