Weather News Tuesday; Winter Storm Headed For Washington DC, East Coast; Biggest Seasonal Snowfall Forecasted, Commuter Travel Comes To A Halt

With snow piling up in the East Coast, offices in the Washington DC area will be closed, as commuters are met with delays. Airports will be affected as a storm brews toward the U.S. East Coast. These conditions are expected to hit New York by evening.

A weather pattern moving across the country, adding strength from the coast of North Carolina will contribute to about 6 inches of snow in Washington DC, Boston and Philadelphia. New York will also be affected within 24 hours, say news sources.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Offices will be closed. A senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. told Bloomberg News, "It's probably going to be pretty intense as it pushes off the coast." He added, "By the time it is all said and done, all the big cities are probably looking at a half of foot of snow."

While the buildup of snow will begin at 7am in Washington DC, it will start snowing in New York and Philadelphia by 4pm.

The winter storm warning for New York City goes into effect at noon. Storm warnings are in effect from southern Illinois to parts of Massachusetts, as snow, rain, and sleet mix to make it nearly impossible for travelers to go to work and back.

At 4:30 am, almost two thousand flights have been canceled, cites  FlightAware.com. Temperatures will continue to drop into Tuesday night into single digits.

Experts say that temperatures aren't going to be as low as those experienced in the past week due to the 'polar vortex'. Nonetheless, the chill will create problems in the Midwest with single digit temperatures and in the East Coast with low temperatures in the teens. The snow will add to commuter travel and transportation.