By Julia Harte and Rich McKay

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A fast-moving winter storm was expected to hit the U.S. Northeast early on Tuesday, dumping as much as 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) of snow on New York City before moving north later in the day and walloping Boston with more than a foot, forecasters said.

In New York, temperatures were not expected to dip much below freezing, raising the prospect of heavy and wet snow that is difficult to shovel off sidewalks and plow off roadways, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

The conditions could create “pretty messy” commutes and potentially down power lines and trees, causing power outages, Oravec warned.

New York City public schools will close on Tuesday, with classes held remotely for the more than 900,000 students in the nation’s largest school district, Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday. The city also issued a travel advisory, asking residents to stay off the roads on Tuesday so snow plows can keep them clear.

In New England, the forecast of heavy snow prompted Boston’s mayor to declare a state of emergency, canceling Tuesday classes in all city schools, and set off alarm bells for many residents, who scrambled to prepare for the storm.

“We’re almost totally out of snow shovels,” said Ethan Straub, a hardware store manager in Boston. He said his stock of 100 shovels had dwindled to just a dozen by Monday morning. Ever since the storm appeared in weather reports, he said, the rush of business had been “crazy.”

About 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) south of Boston, in Fall River, Tony Cruz planned to work nonstop on Tuesday and Wednesday shoveling snow off driveways, front steps and sidewalks, armed with just a shovel and snow blower.

“I work alone. Just me. I’m ‘Tony the Handyman’ and if we get a ton of snow I’ll work until it’s done,” Cruz said, adding that he stays warm with an insulated jacket and “lots and lots of coffee.”

A winter storm watch was in effect for Long Island, New York City and part of northeast New Jersey. The precipitation will begin as rain late on Monday and turn to snow as temperatures fall overnight. The amount of snowfall could rise or drop depending on when that change occurs, Oravec said.

New York City’s “snow drought” of almost two years ended in mid-January, when an Arctic blast dropped about 1.4 inches in the city’s Central Park. Tuesday’s snow is expected to exceed that, possibly creating conditions for sledding and snowball fights, albeit briefly.

A fleet of 1,500 large snow plow trucks stood by in New York City, ready to hit the streets, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.

Strong winds, up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour), and coastal flooding were also forecast along the New England coast, as well as the Jersey Shore and Long Island.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Julia Harte in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Bill Berkrot)