A spring nor'easter is pummeling the East Coast — and forecasts predict up to 18 inches of snow

Spring is officially here, but East Coasters are enduring a blast of wintry weather.

Winter storm warnings are in effect for a large swath of the East Coast, with the National Weather Service projecting up to 12 to 18 inches of snowfall in New Jersey, New York City, and Connecticut between midnight on Tuesday and 6:00 a.m. on Thursday.

The National Weather Service warned that Winter Storm Toby will bring heavy snowfall and strong gusts that could take down tree limbs and knock out power throughout the region. Commutes may be "difficult" or "impossible," the NWS said.

More than 4,500 flights were cancelled by 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday, according to flight-tracking service Flight Aware.

The wet snow is producing hazardous conditions for traveling and may cause flooding and power outages in coastal areas.

The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory for New York City, New Jersey, and Long Island coastlines, with minor flooding possible. If the storm does really deliver 18 inches of snow to New York, it could be the heaviest spring snowfall in the city's history.

All New York City district schools were closed on Wednesday, with school closures across New Jersey, and in the Washington D.C. area.

Some areas of Pennsylvania have already picked up over 10 inches of snow, according to The Weather Channel.

Temperatures are hovering around the low-to-mid 30s, though snowfall predictions could get adjusted throughout the day as forecasters keep an eye on the storm.

Toby is the fourth nor'easter to slam into the East Coast in only three weeks, and comes just a few weeks after a storm that flooded portions of Boston and coastal Massachusetts.

This storm could also produce rare thunder snow, which New Yorkers experienced only two weeks ago.

Even though temperatures aren't too low, the risk of frostbite and hypothermia is still real. The wind chill could dip the thermometer into the 20s on Wednesday night, according to The National Weather Service.

Similar to the "bomb cyclone" earlier this winter (and the other nor'easters), the current storm is caused by an atmospheric disturbance from Canada, which feeds a rapidly intensifying area of low pressure off the Mid-Atlantic coast, as described by Mashable's Andrew Freedman.

While the winds associated with this storm are not as strong as the storms earlier this month, its intense snowfall is due to the moisture the storm has picked up over the ocean.

A spring nor'easter is pummeling the East Coast — and forecasts predict up to 18 inches of snow

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!