NEW YORK: Forecasters warned on Friday that a deluge of snow and wintery conditions could bring travel chaos to the US northeast this weekend, with some 25 million people subject to a storm warning.

Several cities in the eastern United States including New York, the most-populous city in the country, have gone record periods without winter snowfall.

But the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a winter storm warning that “travel could be nearly impossible” in places over the weekend, threatening chaos for travelers returning from winter breaks.

The affected area stretches from just outside Boston, inland across the northeast through parts of New England down towards Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Ice was likely to cause power outages and fell trees, forecasters warned.

“(A) winter storm watch has been issued for Saturday morning through Saturday evening,” the NWS said in a forecast that warned up to three inches of snow and sleet could accumulate in the most highly-populated areas.

“Low pressure will bring wintry precipitation to portions of the region Saturday into Saturday evening.”