U.S.

Winter Storm Hercules Blasting Northeast

Hercules is leaving New York, Massachusetts and more under several inches of snow, and bitter cold is heading for the Midwest next.

Winter Storm Hercules Blasting Northeast
WCBS
SMS

Happy New Year, from winter storm Hercules. He's hitting up 100 million people across 22 U.S. states to spread some cheer.

If you call this "cheer." Hit hardest is the Northeast — expressways shut down and schools closed, with whiteout conditions and winter storm warnings absolutely in effect. The storm at its most fierce from Thursday night to Friday morning. (Via News12, NY1, WNYW, WDIV)

​"Dangerously cold is how we're going to finish this storm, and it will be here for the rest of the day." (Via WABC)

Advice from the National Weather Service was a simple "do not travel."

 "We're here on Amsterdam Avenue — take a look at the street here — no blacktop, as to be expected." (Via WCBS)

And from New York City's new Mayor De Blasio...

"Please. Stay indoors to the maximum extent possible."

New York is in a state of emergency. New York City saw several inches of snow, a predicted possible 12 inches by Friday. Long Island was under a blizzard warning. (Via WPIX, WNYW)

Boston was expected to get up to 18 inches of snow, wind chills in Connecticut could be at -20 degrees.

Chicago's O'Hare airport was already troubled by about 650 flight cancelations Thursday, and another round of bitter cold is expected to move into the Midwest over the weekend. (Via WMAQ)

Hercules. Not exactly the hero we all thought. (Via Buena Vista)