Story highlights Midnight, Friday's midday high tides could produce coastal flooding in Massachusetts 
 
 Website: Over 2,200 U.S. flights are canceled Thursday; about 1,000 so far Friday 
 
 Parts of New York, Massachusetts and Maine are under blizzard warnings 
 
 In addition to the snow and wind, frigid temperatures are a major concern 
 
 An onslaught of fast-falling snow, whipping winds and bitter cold socked parts of the Northeast on Thursday, spurring a slew of travel woes, highway closures and worries that the headaches will only get worse as temperatures fall further. 
 
 This kind of weather, this time of year, in this region is nothing new: Connecticut's governor, for instance, noted the snow totals won't come close to the 40 inches that buried parts of his state last February. 
 
 At the same time, by Thursday night, it was already causing a mess -- whether you were waiting at an airport, had skidded off a road or were stuck at home hoping that your lights and perhaps your heat wouldn't suddenly stop working. 
 
 "Mother Nature has come to wish us happy new year," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. 
 
 The nor'easter, forming off the East Coast of the United States, prompted blizzard warnings from Thursday into Friday for New York's Long Island, Cape Cod, Massachusetts' South and North Shores, plus communities along Maine's coast. Boston, for example, was already getting buried by snow late Thursday afternoon. 
 
 About one-third of the nation, approximately 100 million people in 22 states, was in the path of the storm, which was expected to be at its fiercest between 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. 
 
 The complicated storm system "will raise havoc" this week, dumping a foot of snow and spreading subzero wind chills across parts of the region, the National Weather Service warned. 
 
 "Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely," the Weather Service said . "This will lead to whiteout conditions making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel." 
 
 Across the country, the nasty weather has snarled travel plans for many. 
 
 More than 2,200 U.S. flights had been canceled as of 10:45 p.m. Thursday, reported FlightAware.com , which tracks cancellations due to weather and mechanical problems. It's not like things will suddenly clear up: the same website reports that some 1,000 flights already have been canceled in advance for Friday. 
 
 Thursday's most affected airport was Chicago's O'Hare, with more than 650 cancellations in and out and about the same number of delays. Newark's Liberty International Airport, New York's LaGuardia and Cleveland's Hopkins also were affected. 
 
 American, US Airways, United, Many airlines are allowing passengers to make fee-free itinerary changes for destinations expected to be affected by winter storms. Delta Southwest/AirTran and JetBlue have all posted weather advisories on their websites. 
 
 Inside some airports, would-have-been travelers scrambled to rearrange flights or find a place to stay knowing that some things were out of their control. 
 
 "The warning has been coming for a couple of days, so we expected it," a man from South Carolina said from Boston's Logan Airport, as he headed with his family to a hotel and, hopefully, a Boston Bruins game knowing they couldn't fly, reported CNN affiliate WCVB . "We are stuck, we'll make the best of it." 
 
 Brenda Kopytko is luckily home in South Windsor, Connecticut, having ventured out into the snow earlier. A New England winter veteran, she's taking it in stride -- "This is nothing" -- if not the possibility of strong winds and power outages, particularly after being in the dark for nine days after last winter's storm. 
 
 "Once the winds start going and the branches start snapping, then I get a little nervous," Kopytko said. 
 
 Here's a breakdown of what to expect where: 
 
 New York and Long Island 
 
 As of Thursday night, New York City was under a winter storm warning, as were many other densely populated areas in seven other states. 
 
 The city of 8 million people could get 9 inches of snow, subzero wind chills and turbulent winds, forecasters said. 
 
 New York City is expecting to see 6 to 12 inches of snow overnight, with more possible on Long Island, where Nassau and Suffolk counties will be under a blizzard warning until 1 p.m. Friday, with predictions of 8 to 10 inches of snow, wind chills as low as 10 below zero and sustained winds of at least 35 mph. 
 
 Bitter cold will follow, with temperatures in the single digits by Saturday morning. 
 
 Upstate, the capital city of Albany could get buried under 14 inches of snow, with wind chills of 15 to 25 below zero, the National Weather Service said. 
 
 Cuomo declared a state of emergency for all of New York shortly after 3:45 p.m. Thursday, one of several steps taken to try to minimize the wild wintry weather's toll. 
 
 Among them is shutting down parts of Interstate 84, an east-west highway that goes from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, to commercial vehicles late Thursday afternoon, with nearby I-87 south of Albany closing at midnight. 
 
 That's the same time the Long Island Expressway -- in a different part of the state -- will close to traffic at the border between Nassau County and the Queens borough of New York. The hope is to reopen all these roads around 5 a.m., though that timing is very much subject to change. 
 
 "We'll make sure no one is in a state of danger on those roads," said Cuomo. 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 By Friday night, Boston is expected to be covered by 10 to 18 inches of snow, about twice the amount forecast just one day ago, and shivering in temperatures as low as 6 degrees below zero. 
 
 Citing likely "near blizzard" conditions Thursday night into late Friday morning, the state's emergency management agency warned that some areas could be hit hard -- including up to two feet of snow on parts of the North Shore and South Shore, as well as Cape Cod. 
 
 The forecast was so bad for Boston that the city canceled school for Friday two days in advance, with scores of other school districts quickly following suit. 
 
 "I guess Mother Nature wanted to give me one more gift," Mayor Thomas Menino told reporters Thursday in one of his last days in the job he has held since 1993. 
 
 "Take precautions and take public transportation and take care of one another," he urged. But, he added, the city was doing its part, with 700 pieces of equipment on city streets. "Our team is ready," he said. 
 
 The combination of extreme cold, snow and strong winds had officials at homeless shelters preparing. 
 
 "Our main emphasis is getting people inside, where it is safer and warmer," said Jennifer Harris, a spokeswoman for the Pine Street Inn shelter system in Boston, where a snow emergency has been declared. "Pine Street Inn is making sure to have extra staff and food and water. We are geared up to provide to a greater number of people." 
 
 Blizzard warnings haven't been issued for Boston itself, but are in effect for parts of nearby Essex and Plymouth counties -- including the communities of Gloucester, Brockton and Plymouth -- as well as the Cape. 
 
 Because of the storm, the state Emergency Management Agency warned that the midnight and Friday midday high tides could produce "significant flooding" along the coast. To this point, the towns of Scituate and Duxbury requested voluntary evacuations for residents of certain low-lying areas. 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 Wind chills in parts of Connecticut are expected to range from -5 to -20 degrees Thursday night and Friday; the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for most of the state through Friday morning. 
 
 Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy urged residents to take it slow and give themselves extra time for their commutes Thursday and Friday. He said he expects there will be delays, but not cancellations, in public transit. 
 
 Addressing reporters, Malloy said the worst time for the state would be overnight -- between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., when there could be blizzard conditions. Still, the storm's impact could linger well beyond that if roads are blocked or the electricity goes out. 
 
 He acknowledged that this kind of weather is hardly unprecedented in Connecticut this time of year. Still, the governor added, what sets this system apart is the frigid temperatures forecast for the coming days. 
 
 That's a big concern throughout the region, especially for the homeless and people stranded -- whether along a road or inside without adequate heat or power -- by the bad weather. 
 
 "(This) is not a big New England storm, but it is a particularly cold New England storm," Malloy said. 
 
 Chicago and points beyond 
 
 Seven to 11 inches of snow were possible Thursday in Chicago, according to the National Weather Service. Windy City residents will feel frigid temps -- wind chills during the day Friday will creep down to minus 12 -- and emergency director Gary Schenkel said more snow is possible later in the week. 
 
 Though snow in Chicago in the winter is a common event, it "can still wreak havoc on daily routines," he noted. 
 
 Next week could be no better for some U.S. residents. 
 
 A new shot of colder air will start to move into the northern Midwest by Saturday and will dive south Monday and Tuesday, carrying zero-degree cold as far south as Nashville. "That's the coldest air we've seen that far south in several years," said Hennen, the CNN meteorologist. 
 
 The cold air will kick off a new storm Sunday into Monday that could affect a number of high-profile NFL playoff games this weekend. 
 
 In Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers will give a cold welcome to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, when temperatures could bottom out at -17. 
 
 But it will be relatively balmy Sunday in Cincinnati, where snow and rain are possible when the city's Bengals host the San Diego Chargers in another NFL playoff matchup. 
 
 Of course, while the players might not have a choice, fans don't have to brave the cold for either game. The big worries are for those who travel in the coming days. Authorities in New York, for example, said they may shut the Long Island Expressway if whiteout conditions make driving along the east-west highway too perilous. 
 
 Kevin Willims isn't taking any chances, nor is he predicting a world-ending storm. The New Yorker said he plans to sit tight and let Mother Nature do her thing. 
 
 "There's not much you can do," Willims said. "When it's snowing and these streets lock up, there's really nowhere you can go, so it's best to just stay in." 
 
 That sentiment was echoed by James Montford, who told CNN Boston affiliate WHDH that he is looking forward to creating some art in the comforts of home. 
 
 "This a great day to kind of hunker down," Montford said. ||||| Skip in Skip x Embed x Share A potent winter storm is forecast to bring heavy snow and howling winds to the East Coast by Friday, potentially closing roads and schools, canceling flights and causing power outages. 
 
 Crystal Lin, 15, clears the sidewalk in front of a restaurant on Jan. 18, 2016, in Utica, N.Y. Heavy lake-effect snow and cold temperatures are expected in parts of central and western New York. (Photo: AP) 
 
 A potent winter storm is forecast to bring heavy snow and howling winds to the East Coast on Friday and Saturday, potentially closing roads and schools, canceling flights and causing power outages. 
 
 The metro areas in and around Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could all see heavy snow from the storm, according to AccuWeather. 
 
 As much as 1 to 2 feet of snow is possible near and northwest of I-95, the National Weather Service said. 
 
 Blizzard conditions are possible, meaning winds of 35 mph and visibility of only a quarter-mile for at least three hours. 
 
 It could be the first storm in 13 years to dump a foot of snow on the entire Northeast megalopolis, Weather.com reported. More than 50 million people could be affected by snowfall heavy enough to disrupt travel by road, rail and air. 
 
 Along the coast, high winds and pounding surf could lead to beach erosion, according to WeatherBell meteorologist Ryan Maue. The full moon will exacerbate the chance of coastal flooding as tides will be higher than average. The areas at greatest risk for coastal flooding and beach erosion are in New Jersey, Long Island and southern New England. 
 
 In the Deep South and Southeast, heavy rain, freezing rain and severe thunderstorms are possible Thursday. 
 
 The Weather Channel named the storm Jonas. 
 
 Ahead of the storm, ferocious cold kept most of the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in a deep freeze Tuesday. Temperatures remained in the single digits and teens across much of those three regions, with wind chill values below zero in many places, the weather service said. 
 
 Even Florida was relatively cold Tuesday, as high temperatures only reached the mid-to-upper 50s in Tampa and Orlando. 
 
 A separate storm not associated with the late-week blizzard was spreading light snow Tuesday across the central Plains and Ohio Valley, where 3-5 inches was likely by Wednesday. St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati and Nashville were all in the path of that storm. 
 
 Snow will continue to spread across the Midwest through midweek: https://t.co/rVWavTL2AJpic.twitter.com/dNtQiaAul2 — AccuWeather.com (@breakingweather) January 19, 2016 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1V4Of5U ||||| High winds, frigid temperatures and a lot of snow hit the East Coast overnight, and cities are scrambling to manage the impact. NBC's Ron Mott reports from Boston. 
 
 A massive winter storm dumped 20 inches of snow on parts of New England and looked set to cripple much of the Midwest and Northeast on Friday as millions faced dangerously cold temperatures. 
 
 Sub-zero wind chills arrived with the storm, and the biting wind and blowing snow have shut down interstates and airports alike. 
 
 John F. Kennedy Airport in New York was officially closed at 6:12 a.m. Friday and is not expected to re-open until 8:30 a.m., and Boston's Logan International is effectively shutdown, as well. 
 
 Interstate 84 in New York and the Long Island Expressway, closed at midnight as the storm roared in, remained so until 8 a.m. 
 
 Snowfall reports varied widely, with New York City receiving 7 inches, Baltimore some 3 to 6 inches, Philadelphia roughly 5 inches, Hartford 6 to 10 inches and Boston as much as 14 inches. 
 
 Some 20 inches have already fallen on other parts of Massachusetts, according to The Weather Channel lead meteorologist Michael Palmer. Boxford, Mass., northwest of Boston, reported 21 inches. 
 
 Schools across the Northeast, including all public schools in New York City, are closed Friday. 
 
 Winter weather and wind-chill advisories were in effect in at least 22 states, stretching from Chicago through the New York tri-state region into New England and affecting an area home to more than 100 million people. 
 
 NBC's Tom Costello provides a winter travel update, and reports that hundreds of flights have been canceled after a winter storm struck the East Coast. 
 
 The cold behind the snowstorm could be deadly, with parts of the Midwest expecting lows not seen since the mid-1980s, according to Palmer. 
 
 "It's going to be brutal," Weather Channel coordinating meteorologist Tom Moore said. "People that are vulnerable are really going to be hurting." 
 
 The high temperature in New York City will be in the teens on Friday during the day and drop to between 5 and 8 degrees in the evening, with the wind chill making it feel well below zero. 
 
 "This is nothing to be trifled with," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "We have learned too well over the past few years the power of Mother Nature. We have seen the damage that has been done." 
 
 Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick dismissed all state workers at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and urged residents to minimize time outside and be aware of frostbite and hypothermia symptoms. "That is a very, very dangerous set of circumstances," he said. 
 
 Temperatures from upstate New York to Maine were below zero, and wind chills — the "feels like" effect — were minus-30 in some spots. 
 
 Across the Northeast, residents were fretting about the blast of bitter cold. 
 
 “I think I’m more concerned about the terrible cold Friday night rather than the storm itself," David Ball of Scituate, Mass., which was facing coastal flooding, told NBC affiliate WHDH. "Hopefully the power stays on." 
 
 The weather was affecting air travel, with some 1,600 flights being cancelled Friday on top of about 2,000 on Thursday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. 
 
 Thirty planes sat on the tarmac at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on Thursday night, with hundreds of passengers forced to wait while the runways were cleared for takeoff, reported NBC Chicago. Some travelers said they sat inside idled planes for up to four hours. 
 
 NBC's Kristen Dahlgren reports from Long Island, NY, where a blizzard warning is still in effect and many public buildings have shut down. 
 
 “We arrived at 10 p.m. and its [sic] getting cold on the plane,” passenger Efraid Mata wrote in an email to NBC Chicago. 
 
 The delays and cancellations in the Midwest and Northeast created a logjam in the rest of the country’s flight schedules. Even in warm and sunny Southern California, dozens of flights at LAX in Los Angeles were put on hold or scrapped Thursday, with the same expected Friday. 
 
 The first brutal blast of cold shattered records in Minnesota on Thursday — and a second blast is expected to barrel from the Great Plains and Midwest on Sunday and Monday and into the East on Tuesday. 
 
 The second wave of icy weather will stretch from the upper Midwest to Kentucky and Tennessee, forecasters said. 
 
 Chicago will struggle to get above minus 8 and by Monday morning the wind will make it feel like it's 40 below zero there. 
 
 In Green Bay, Wis., where the Packers host an NFL playoff game Sunday evening, the low temperature could reach minus 18. 
 
 "Even Atlanta's northern suburbs could be in single digits by Monday night," Moore said. 
 
 Larry Wittmers, a hypothermia expert at the University of Minnesota-Duluth medical school, said it's not necessarily the coldest areas that face the most peril. 
 
 "True hypothermia cases turn up more often in more southern regions because people are not prepared and don't know what to do," Wittmers said. 
 
 How long people can safely spend outside depends on how wet or windy it is and how they are dressed, Wittmer said. Shoveling snow or other exercise can be dangerous because sweat reduces the insulation capability of clothing, and consuming alcohol can speed heat loss and reduce awareness of the cold. 
 
 And even though record snowfall is not expected, the cold could make roads even more hazardous because the snow-melting salt that homeowners and road crews use loses effectiveness at between 10 and 20 degrees. 
 
 To give plows time to work and guard against vehicles getting stranded, New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency and closed several major roads. New Jersey also declared a state of emergency. 
 
 "As this winter storm unfolds, bringing heavy snow and high winds to many parts of the state, I strongly urge all New Yorkers to exercise caution, avoid travel and stay indoors," Cuomo said. 
 
 At the Pine Street Inn shelter in Boston, vice president Heidi Daniels was preparing for a packed house. 
 
 "We won't turn anybody away," she said. "We'll pull out cots and mats and make sure everybody has a warm place to stay tonight." 
 
 NBC News' Tracy Connor, Daniel Arkin and Ron Mott contributed to this story. 
 
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 This story was originally published on
– Mother Nature isn't making it an easy transition back to work in the new year, throwing a whole lot of snow, whipping winds, and freezing temperatures at commuters in the Northeast this week. As much as a foot of snow is expected in New England and New York today into tomorrow; more is expected in Boston, which will see "near blizzard" conditions, CNN reports, and Philadelphia and southern New Jersey could see 3 to 7 inches. "The wind is going to whip around the snow and reduce the visibility, creating near-blizzard conditions" through much of the Northeast, one meteorologist tells NBC News. Some 900 US flights are already cancelled today alone, as temperatures fall to highs just above zero in some areas, the National Weather Service said, per the AP. "There will be travel problems," a meteorologist said. "It will be very cold." Adds another, the snowstorm, dubbed "Hercules" by the Weather Channel, could stretch into parts of the Midwest, USA Today reports. "Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely," particularly in NY and Long Island, the Weather Service said, per CNN. "This will lead to whiteout conditions making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel."