NEW YORK — A massive and dangerous winter storm is whipping the East Coast with significant snowfall, strong thunderstorms and blustery winds Monday.
The system, which stretched as far south as Florida and as far north as New England, has left thousands without power and disrupted travel across the country.
Forecasters estimate a foot of snow will fall in parts of New England, New York state, Ohio and Pennsylvania through Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service says 50 million people Monday are under winter weather alerts. It also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the New York area early Monday, a region that included Brooklyn and Queens.
According to CNN, those storms are stretching down the coast into Florida, where tornadoes damaged more than two dozen homes in the Fort Meyers area and left 7,000 customers briefly without power.
Sleet and rain are the main threats for much of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Road conditions were also a concern. Plow truck drivers were scattered along roads and highways in the region in the early morning hours.
The weather is also wreaking havoc with air travel. According to Flight Aware, more than 1,300 flights had been canceled before 8:30 a.m. ET on Monday, with more cancellations likely to come as the day progresses.