First winter storm of 2021 slams New York City and other parts of north-east

The storm, the year's first 'Nor'easter', could bring as much as two feet of snow to the area

A person cycles through the Times Square during a snow storm, amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in the Manhattan borough of New York City on February 1, 2021. Reuters

A snowplough removes snow from the Times Square during a snow storm, amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Reuters

A couple walks on the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday, February 1, 2021. A winter snowstorm walloped the Eastern US on Monday. AP

People walk along a snow covered street as snow falls in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. AFP

Snow covers a social distancing bubble dining tent outside a restaurant in New York. Bloomberg

A delivery person rides a bicycle as snow falls in New York. Bloomberg

An empty outdoor dining area of a restaurant during a snow storm in New York. Bloomberg

A fire truck drives along a snow covered road during a Nor'Easter snow storm in Guttenberg, New Jersey. AFP

A double parked car waits covered in snow in the Brooklyn borough. New York City and much of the Northeast is being hit by a major winter storm that is expected to bring as much as two feet of snow when done sometime Tuesday morning. Schools, public transportation and vaccine centers across the region are being impacted by the storm. AFP

A National Guard soldier stands his post in front of the US Capitol, on Monday, February 1, 2021, in Washington. AP

A child is pulled on a sled along 14th Street in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a State of Emergency and MTA officials announced that above-ground subway service would be suspended. AFP

Workers clear snow off a subway station platform in Brooklyn. AFP

A resident clears snow from his car in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on February 1, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. More than a foot of snow fell in some areas of the city during a winter storm that lasted most of the past weekend. AFP

A masked snowman sits on the National Mall in Washington, DC. AFP

A couple throw snowballs in Washington, DC. Bloomberg

People play with snow as snow begins to fall in Times Square during a snow storm in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Reuters

A snowman is seen on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP

A powerful winter storm is set to dump feet of snow along a stretch of the US east coast including New York City after blanketing the nation's capital. AFP

A dog sits in Times Square during a winter storm in New York City. AFP

A snowkiting sail hangs in the air over Medicine Lake in Plymouth, Minnesota.AFP

Snowkiting is a growing sport, as people seek new outdoor activities in the winter. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP

Snowkiting is a growing sport, as people seek new outdoor activities in the winter. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP

Mike Kratochwill flies through the air while snowkiting on Lake Minnetonka. AFP

Snowkiting is a growing sport, as people seek new outdoor activities in the winter. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP

Snowkiting is a growing sport, as people seek new outdoor activities in the winter. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP

Teenagers play with hail on the beach following winter storms that blanketed the region with rain, snow, and hail in Manhattan Beach, California. AFP

People play with hail on the beach following winter storms that blanketed the region with rain, snow, and hail in Manhattan Beach, California. AFP

More than 80 million people in the US are under some form of winter watch or warning, according to USA Today, as a major snowstorm rolled through the north-eastern US on Monday.

The multi-day storm resulted in snow accumulation in Chicago and Washington, DC, on Sunday before it moved into Philadelphia and New York City. The storm is expected to last through Tuesday.

New York City, the most populous city in the US, may see somewhere between 16 and 24 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Tri-state area bus and train travel between New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is suspended for several hours on Monday. FlightAware also recorded thousands of cancelled flights.

"This storm is no joke and the main concern right now is that the expected snowfall rate of two inches per hour this afternoon creates an extremely dangerous situation on our roadways," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday.

He issued a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley, to the north of the city. Non-essential vehicular travel was prohibited in New York City through Monday, when the area will see intensified snow accumulation and wind gusts.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio shared similar warnings on Sunday night. “This is not a storm to underestimate,” he said during a news briefing. “Take it seriously. This is a dangerous storm.”

If forecasts hold, the storm could rank in the top ten biggest snowfalls in New York City's history.

The unique timing of the storm has snarled up how the area is responding to the pandemic. Mr de Blasio made the decision to cancel Covid-19 vaccinations for Monday and Tuesday, but said they would resume on Wednesday.

"Last thing we want to do is to urge our seniors to come out in the middle of a storm like this," he said. "It doesn't make sense."

The state of New Jersey has also shut down its major vaccination sites as a result of the storm.

The largest public healthcare system in the US, NYC Health + Hospitals, also moved to suspend Covid-19 testing on Monday and Tuesday.