White Christmas in some areas as large winter storm hits Midwest & Northeast U.S.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A large winter storm brought blizzard conditions to the Midwest and left over 100,000 on the East Coast without power on Christmas morning. It also brought snow to parts of the South and heavy rain to the Northeast.
Winter weather advisories were extended as far south as northern Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
New York City and the surrounding areas could see wind gusts up to 70 mph and 2 to 4 inches of rain through midday Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Pennsylvania had already received up to 2 inches of rain.
"Anyone dreaming of a white Christmas will have to settle for a windy and soggy holiday," New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said.
But there was snowfall elsewhere in the East and South. Impressive snowfall totals were measured in Tennessee and North Carolina, where up to 6 inches accumulated.
Snow fell as far south as Georgia, where 1 to 2 inches was recorded.
The same storm system produced severe thunderstorms with two tornadoes reported in Virginia and a third reported in North Carolina.
New York City to Washington, D.C., was forecast to begin drying out and cooling off on Friday afternoon as arctic air moves in.
Temperatures Saturday morning will fall to the 20s with wind chills in the teens and single digits.
A freeze warning has even been issued for central Florida, including Orlando, where the temperature Friday night into Saturday morning could fall to 29 degrees.
