This week's blizzard could be the biggest March snowstorm New York has seen in 129 years

A massive blizzard is expected to bury much of the East Coast in snow on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The affected area stretches from northern Virginia to Maine and into Canada, with the core of the storm slated to hit eight states. A blizzard warning will be in effect for New York City and parts of New York state and New Jersey, with over a foot of snow likely in Manhattan. Whiteout conditions and powerful, dangerous winds are expected as well.

If the storm proceeds as expected, it would be just the fifth blizzard on record to dump more than a foot of snow on Manhattan in March and the first since 1960.

And if current forecasts pan out, it could actually be the biggest March storm in the city since 1888.

Boston and Philadelphia can also expect at least a foot of snow, and over half a foot will most likely accumulate in Washington, DC.

This rare weather event, which begins Monday in the Midwest with smaller snowfalls of just 1 or 2 inches, will punctuate a winter marked by unusual warmth. Chicago went snow-free in January and February for the first time in recorded history.

More than 1,500 flights have been canceled ahead of the storm, which will scramble transport across the US. Road travel will also most likely become difficult or dangerous in the worst-hit areas.

The late-March storm at the end of a warm winter could spell bad news for plants and crops across a large swath of the US (a bigger area than the region in the storm's path), according to the National Weather Service. Measurements of plant and leaf growth show spring has already begun early across much of the country, with buds emerging and plants coming out of their winter stasis early.

A blast of cold air could kill early fruits and leaves and lead to weak crop yields and dead plants across the affected area.

Follow Business Insider and your local weather report for more details on the impending storm.

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