Story highlights Amtrak shuts down Tuesday service between New York and Boston 
 
 New York mayor: The storm "is about to start in earnest" 
 
 Massachusetts governor: "The best thing anybody can do is stay inside" 
 
 Are you in the storm's path? Please share your images with CNN iReport if you can do so safely. 
 
 (CNN) Snow is falling at a faster rate. Wind gusts are getting stronger. And temperatures are frigid. 
 
 It may not look bad yet, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday night, but it will be soon. 
 
 "This is literally the calm before the storm. It's about to start in earnest," de Blasio said. "And when it does, it's going to come in very fast and very hard, and people have to be very, very careful. People have to stay off the streets and stay off the sidewalks." 
 
 The National Weather Service, which isn't prone to exaggeration, is using terms like "life-threatening" and "historic" to describe the weather system taking aim at the Northeast, with the worst expected to hit Monday night into Tuesday. 
 
 The first big storm of the year may drop up to 3 feet of snow on Boston and New York before it ends Tuesday, with freezing rain and strong wind gusts possibly reaching 70 mph. Blizzard and winter storm warnings have been issued from Maryland through Maine and into Canada. 
 
 Up to 58 million people could be put into the deep freeze. And the storm could have a far-reaching economic and political impact, even beyond the region directly hit. 
 
 The snowfall will be dramatic, but that might not be what causes the most damage, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. 
 
 A possible source of major problems, he said, will be large wind gusts that send tree limbs crashing down into power lines. That could leave people in some area without electricity for days, he said. 
 
 Another area of concern: roads. 
 
 "It is no joke to have people stranded on a highway. We've gone through that before," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters. "It is frightening how quickly a simple trip to the supermarket can wind up being very dangerous." 
 
 Public transportation will shut down and only emergency vehicles will be allowed on the roads in 13 counties -- and on the streets of New York City -- as of 11 p.m., he said. 
 
 Connecticut and Massachusetts also put travel bans in place. 
 
 In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter declared a snow emergency starting at 6 p.m. ET Monday. Cars left parked on snow emergency routes will be towed and owners ticketed, he said. 
 
 "It's going to be the kind of night where the best thing anybody can do is stay inside," Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday evening. 
 
 Track the storm 
 
 Here's what you need to know, state-by-state 
 
 Sights and sounds of the blizzard 
 
 Spinning your wheels 
 
 While the worst of the weather isn't expected to hit until late Monday into Tuesday, according to CNN forecasters, it's already snarling travel. 
 
 Nearly 7,000 flights have been canceled for Monday and Tuesday, the flight-tracking website Flightaware.com said. And hundreds of flights have already been canceled for Wednesday as well. 
 
 American Airlines suspended operations in Philadelphia, Boston and New York late Monday afternoon. 
 
 "We plan to resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so," airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said. 
 
 United Airlines has already canceled all Tuesday flights at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK, as well as Boston and Philadelphia, company spokeswoman Mary Ryan said. 
 
 Delta has canceled more than 1,600 flights on Monday and Tuesday. There are no operations planned at Boston's Logan International Airport on Tuesday and "very limited flying at LaGuardia and JFK," spokesman Morgan Durrant said. Some cancellations may also be necessary Wednesday morning, he said. 
 
 The major U.S. airlines are offering fee-free rebooking of flights to and from the Northeast on Monday and Tuesday. 
 
 Amtrak said it was operating a normal Monday schedule but suspended Northeast Regional and Acela Express service between New York and Boston for Tuesday because of severe weather. 
 
 Other Amtrak train routes in the region will operate at reduced frequencies, the rail line said. 
 
 Stocking up before the storm 
 
 Heavier snow will hit Monday night and continue through Tuesday, forecasters said. Some areas will still be getting snow Wednesday. 
 
 Officials across the Northeast warned residents to stock up for the storm. 
 
 Tips to prepare for the storm Government officials warned residents to fill up vehicle gas tanks, stock up on food, make sure they have enough heating fuel and to take other steps to prepare for the possibility of being stranded, possibly without power, for days. Here are more tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency: • Make a family communications plan in case you are separated from your loved ones during the height of the storm. • Make sure to keep ventilation to the outdoors clear when using kerosene heaters. • Put off travel. But if you have to go out, keep a disaster supplies kit in your car. It should include a shovel, windshield scraper, small broom, flashlight, battery-powered radio, extra batteries, food and water, matches, a change of clothes, a pocketknife, a first aid kit and blankets. • Check antifreeze levels, battery condition, exhaust and other vehicle systems before venturing out. • Stay inside as much as possible, stay dry when you do have to go outside, and watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia, including loss of feeling, uncontrollable shivering and disorientation. 
 
 And they did. 
 
 While shoppers lined up in supermarkets, Dorot, a nonprofit in New York, collected hundreds of bags of food and water supplies for homebound seniors, WCBS reported. 
 
 "I think I'll use some of this, especially the soup," said Norma Amigo, 93, of the Upper West Side. "I will not go out if I think it's slippery out, because I fell two weeks ago." 
 
 Christine Carew, a sales associate at Charles Street Supply in Boston, said customers have been coming into the hardware store since it opened Sunday to grab sleds, shovels, ice melt and snow brushes. 
 
 When it comes to getting ready for a massive snowfall, she said, Boston residents know what to do. 
 
 "We're more prepared for it," she said. "We know it's going to happen." 
 
 In Boston's North End, cigar bar manager David Riccio was sweeping the sidewalk Monday night, preparing for the storm to hit. 
 
 "They're making it sound really bad, so we'll see," he said. 
 
 Fleets of plows and tons of salt 
 
 New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said his force was well-prepared with a fleet of vehicles equipped with tire chains and more large SUVs capable of traversing snowy streets. 
 
 "I want everyone to understand that we are facing -- most likely -- one of the largest snowstorms in the history of this city," de Blasio said. 
 
 Just Watched De Blasio: Don't underestimate this storm replay More Videos ... De Blasio: Don't underestimate this storm 01:09 PLAY VIDEO 
 
 That's saying something. In 2006, 26.9 inches of snow fell, topping the 25.8-inches of snow that fell in December 1947. 
 
 New York state has at least 1,806 plows and more than 126,000 tons of salt to spray onto roads across the region. 
 
 The National Guard also was positioning six dozen personnel and 20 vehicles throughout the state Monday morning. 
 
 .@NWSNewYorkNY Blizzard Warning for NYC, 1PM Mon-12AM Wed morning: 20-30" of snow + wind gusts to 65mph. http://t.co/jsdLTt3RY4 #alert — NYC OEM (@nycoem) January 25, 2015 
 
 In Boston, New England Patriots fans saw their beloved football team off to the Super Bowl at a Monday morning celebration that wrapped up before the storm worsened. 
 
 Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said there was no doubt the city would be slammed, so a major effort now is making sure people are safe. That includes checking on elderly residents and working to get homeless people off the streets and into shelters, he said. 
 
 The city has 700 pieces of snow-moving equipment and 35,000 tons of salt ready, he said. 
 
 "You can't fight Mother Nature, and whatever happens throughout the course of the storm, we just have to do our best to be prepared going into it, which I think we are," Walsh said. 
 
 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Northeast braces for 'historic' storm – People cross a street covered in snow in New York's Times Square during a snowstorm on Monday, January 26. The National Weather Service is using terms like "life-threatening" and "historic" to describe the weather system taking aim at the Northeastern United States. The worst is expected to hit Monday night. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Northeast braces for 'historic' storm – As the snow moves in, residents pick up some last-minute items at King's Highway Stop & Shop in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on January 26. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos People walk near Penn Station on New York's Seventh Avenue while a major snowstorm begins on January 26. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A tugboat sails on the East River in New York on January 26. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Travelers wait for their train platform to be announced at New York's Penn Station on January 26. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos The New York skyline is seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, on January 26. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Snow falls on pedestrians in New York on January 26. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A plane is de-iced at New York's LaGuardia Airport on January 26. Thousands of flights have already been canceled in anticipation of the storm. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A man buys a shovel in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on January 26. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Commuters travel across the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge into downtown Boston on January 26. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A cyclist in New York navigates between parked cars and a sanitation truck with a snow plow on it on January 26. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Passengers talk with a ticket agent at LaGuardia Airport to try to beat the snowstorm on January 26. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Traffic moves through falling snow near Evans City, Pennsylvania, on January 26. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A New York City snowplow, loaded with salt, sits in midtown Manhattan as light snow falls on January 26. Hide Caption 14 of 14 EXPAND GALLERY 
 
 Hunkering down 
 
 On Plum Island, Massachusetts, Bob Connors said he'll try to ride out the storm but will move to higher ground if things get dicey, according to CNN affiliate WHDH. A 2013 storm destroyed homes on the island. 
 
 "When you're living on the edge of paradise like we are now, you give Mother Nature a lot of respect when we need to," said Connors. 
 
 Visibility will be a major problem, said CNN meteorologist Judson Jones. 
 
 "This is not one of those storms you want to go out in while it's happening," Jones said. "You want to wait for the winds to die down ... before you go to the store." 
 
 Blizzard Watch issued for RI to be in effect Mon night to Tues night due to predicted snow accumulations of 18-24" http://t.co/v1635ezsLy — Rhode Island EMA (@RhodeIslandEMA) January 25, 2015 
 
 Tuesday is shaping up to be a day when the reality of the weather sets in. 
 
 One of the inevitable aftereffects of snow -- flooding -- will quickly become a problem. 
 
 There could be coastal flooding in Massachusetts starting early Tuesday, with pockets of major flooding on east-facing coastlines, the state emergency agency said. 
 
 "Plan to work from home is the best advice for Tuesday," Jones said. ||||| Cheryl and Bill Keough of South Boston were among many stocking up for the oncoming storm. 
 
 A “crippling” blizzard that could drop up to 3 feet of wet, heavy snow amid whiteout conditions is set to move into the region Monday afternoon. 
 
 “This storm definitely has the capability of being not only historic but also catastrophic,” said Benjamin Sipprell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton. The weather service issued a blizzard warning in effect from 7 p.m. Monday to 1 a.m. Wednesday. 
 
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 “People should be making preparations right now,” Sipprell said Sunday. 
 
 “This is going to be all-out whiteout snow, crippling everything. We’re highly advising no travel, starting late Monday, going into Tuesday and on into Wednesday.” 
 
 Boston officials will decide whether to declare Tuesday a snow day for public schools “as early as possible” on Monday, said Denise Snyder, a School Department spokeswoman. 
 
 “The reality is that we’re watching the weather models just like lots of other folks are,” Snyder said. 
 
 The greatest impact will occur in “Central Mass to the Metrowest area, and then into Rhode Island and northern Connecticut,” with snow falling hardest from midnight Monday to midafternoon Tuesday, said Rebecca Gould, a National Weather Service meteorologist. 
 
 Strong winds are expected with gusts as high as 75 miles per hour, particularly from late Monday into Tuesday. The strongest winds are expected across coastal areas, the weather service said. 
 
 Leaders from “key agencies,” including the Massachusetts National Guard, State Police, and the departments of Transportation, Public Health, Conservation and Recreation, and Public Utilities met Sunday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Framingham, said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. 
 
 Their top concerns were providing adequate shelter for those who will need it, assisting stranded motorists, dealing with extended power outages, managing debris, fuel issues, and evacuation support, Judge said. “It’s been a few years since we’ve had a . . . potentially major storm like this,” Judge said. 
 
 National Weather Service A forecast of the amount of snow expected in the region. 
 
 He noted that since Governor Charlie Baker took office earlier this month, new leadership is in place at many state agencies, but he said that those agencies have many top officials with experience handling major winter storms. 
 
 In a statement Sunday night, Baker said, “Unless forecasts change between now and tomorrow evening, people across Massachusetts should presume that roads on Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday, will be very hard, if not impossible, to navigate; that power outages are a distinct possibility; and that most forms of public transportation may not be available. 
 
 “We will keep everyone up to date on the storm and the state’s preparation and response efforts tomorrow and Tuesday and ask that all take the necessary precautions for this significant storm.” 
 
 “The governor is monitoring the situation closely in coordination with MEMA in order to assess the potential impacts of the storm,” Elizabeth Guyton, a spokeswoman for Baker, said in an e-mail. 
 
 Guyton did not respond to questions about whether Baker would instruct nonessential state workers to stay home during the storm or potentially impose a travel ban. 
 
 Former governor Deval Patrick provoked controversy nearly two years ago when, amid the near-record snowfall of Feb. 8 and 9, 2013, he imposed a 24-hour travel ban that included penalties of up to a year in jail or a $500 fine but little direction to police on how to enforce it. 
 
 The ban was the Commonwealth’s first since the Blizzard of 1978, which set a record of 27.1 inches of snow in Boston, according to the weather service. The current record, just a half-inch higher, was set in February 2003. The 2013 storm left nearly 25 inches of snow in Boston. 
 
 The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has more than 4,000 snowplows at the ready, many outfitted with spreaders for salt or liquid deicer, and 250,000 tons of salt available, according to department spokesman Mike Verseckes. 
 
 Though the department will be working to keep roads clear, Verseckes urged residents to avoid driving during the storm if possible, to give plenty of space to plows on the road, and to watch for snow accumulation on their vehicles. 
 
 “We’re encouraging folks to think safety first,” he said. “Clear off their cars before traveling. Make sure that their tailpipe is clear if the car is running and there’s another occupant in the vehicle.” 
 
 Judge said residents should prepare for power outages with flashlights and batteries, non-perishable food, water, and other necessities and should take care of errands ahead of the storm. 
 
 Inside the Star Market on Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester Sunday afternoon, shoppers wearing snow hats and boots packed lines for all 12 cash registers. 
 
 Cheryl Keough, 57, and her husband Bill, 60, of South Boston filled two shopping carts. Bill Keough works as an electrician for the MBTA and his wife said she likes to send food with him in case he gets stuck at work. “I panic,” she said. “This stuff makes me nervous. I want to make sure he’s OK and fed.” 
 
 Shirley Robinson, 61, of Roxbury, was buying necessities: bottled water, milk, juice, bread — and cookies. “I have to have something for the sweet tooth,” she said. “That’s important.” 
 
 At the Stop & Shop on East Broadway in South Boston, Liban Ali, 48, of Roxbury, was making his third stop seeking salt for his front steps and driveway, but the store had run out. “I’ve got to get what the wife wants,” he said. “I’m not going home without it.” 
 
 The city of Boston’s eight salt piles are at capacity, with 35,000 tons on hand, and 700 pieces of snow removal equipment are ready, according to Bonnie McGilpin, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh. 
 
 In a prepared statement, Walsh said he has been in “constant communication” with city departments and is confident that Boston is prepared. “Once the storm begins, I ask everyone to be vigilant, stay inside and off the roads or use public transportation when possible, and remember to check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and disabled,” he said. 
 
 National Grid has hundreds of utility crews ready, including extra workers called up through partnerships with local construction contractors, according to Jake Navarro, a spokesman for the utility. 
 
 NStar has redirected the efforts of all employees to the storm response, company spokesman Mike Durand said. 
 
 He urged customers to be cautious, especially those who use emergency generators. 
 
 “While they can be useful, it’s important for folks to know they need to be hooked up properly for the safety of our neighbors and line workers,” he said. “If not connected correctly, they can injure or jolt a line worker working on a wire that they think is dead.” 
 
 Logan International Airport has 13 specialized runway-clearing plows at the ready and a half-dozen high-speed blowers to disperse snow at the edge of runways that could obstruct wings or engines, said Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority. “We had a nice little practice run this weekend, and we’ll be ready for the storm,” he said. 
 
 But Brelis cautioned that low visibility caused by falling snow and whipping winds could still cause still force planes to be grounded. 
 
 By 9 p.m. Sunday, several airlines had already announced cancellations, including United Airways, which planned to cancel all Tuesday flights at Logan Airport, as well as at airports in New York City, Newark, and Philadelphia. 
 
 JetBlue canceled 990 flights scheduled through Wednesday morning; Cape Air canceled 28 flights scheduled for Monday; Southwest canceled more than 130. Virgin America canceled 30 flights in Boston and New York across Monday and Tuesday. 
 
 United, JetBlue, Southwest, American, Virgin America, and US Airways have said they will waive applicable fees for customers affected. “Advice to travelers: Call your airline to check on your flight status before you head to the airport,” Brelis said. 
 
 Storm preparations were “well underway,” at the MBTA, spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. “Because it is very likely that service will be impacted by this storm, customers are strongly urged to check our special winter weather page on MBTA.com for regular updates,” he said in an e-mail. 
 
 Pesaturo said crews are checking third-rail heaters to ensure that they are working properly, and Snowzilla, the T’s jet-powered snowblower used to clear tracks on the Mattapan trolley line, “may come out of hibernation.” 
 
 National Weather Service A chart shows the top five snow storms and one-day snow totals in New England.
– There's a storm headed for the Northeast, and the National Weather Service isn't exactly beating around the bush in its descriptions, calling it "historic" and "catastrophic." "People should be making preparations right now," a NWS meteorologist tells the Boston Globe. "It’s going to be bad, no matter what. … Everything’s probably going to shut down. This is going to be all-out white-out snow, crippling everything. We’re highly advising no travel, starting late (tomorrow), going into Tuesday and on into Wednesday." There's a blizzard effect in parts of the Northeast including Boston and New York City from tomorrow into Wednesday, reports the AP, and winds could gust to a hurricane-force 60mph. "This could be a storm the likes of which we have never seen before," says New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the AP reports. "Don't underestimate this storm. Prepare for the worst." Between one and three feet of snow are expected.