80M people under watches, warnings, advisories as 'dangerous' snowstorm pounds Midwest, Northeast John Bacon, USA TODAY Replay Video UP NEXT ARLINGTON, Va. — New Jersey and New York City declared emergencies on Sunday as a powerful winter storm that hammered the West last week roared through the Midwest and took aim at the Northeast. Blizzard conditions with up to 2 feet of snow were possible for some areas. Almost 80 million people were under winter storm warnings, watches and advisories. Major Eastern cities including Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City were bracing for the biggest snowfall of the season, Accuweather warned. The National Weather Service also forecast that winds could gust between 35 to 50 mph, reducing visibility with drifting snow and leading to danger of falling tree branches and power lines.