Winter Storm Stella has hit the Northeast, dumping snow in New England and freezing rain in warmer areas, and causing road closures along the East Coast.

Stella has dropped more than a foot of snow already in areas of New York and Pennsylvania and brought freezing rain and ice to the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas. The rain and snow led to the declaration of states of emergency in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, according to the Washington Post.

Several major roads have been closed in the area. The storm is expected to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday as it moves in a northeasterly direction. In New York, the state has issued a tractor-trailer ban on the full length of Interstates 81, 84, 86, 88, Route 17 and the NYS Thruway.

Pennsylvania is joining New York in restricting all trucks from Interstate 84 and is advising truckers to avoid Interstate 81 although trucks are not officially banned. The state is also imposing restrictions on interstate roads in central and eastern Pennsylvania. Speed limits are reduced to 45 mph and the affected interstates are closed to tandem trailers, empty trailers, buses, motorcycles recreational vehicles and towed trailers.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie authorized road closures in the state in anticipation of the storm and directed travelers to use 511nj.org to keep up with the latest road conditions. Connecticut has issued a statewide travel ban, authorizing only essential travel on state roads.

Earlier in the week, Stella left behind several inches of snow in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, in some cases exceeding a foot.

Southern states also received snowfall, though in smaller amounts in parts of Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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